Connecting the dots between the cybersecurity challenges of today and the topics that matter to you.
The 9th annual Aspen Cyber Summit made its debut in Washington, DC, on September 18. Watch the recording.
Congratulations to Our Poster Competition Winners
Cybersecurity in Daily Life
September 26, 2024
Workstream
Topic
- Artwork
- Cyber Civil Defense
- Cybersecurity
- Education
Facebook
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EmailWe each play a part in raising awareness about cybersecurity. That’s why, with generous support from craig newmark philanthropies, Aspen Digital launched the “Cybersecurity in Daily Life” poster competition.
Inspired by the historical use of posters to inform and uplift the American public, we called on young artists ages 14 to 17 to design creative posters with the following questions in mind:
- What does everyday cybersecurity look like?
- How is cybersecurity part of your use of technology?
- Why is cybersecurity important to you?
Announcing The Winners
During the closing of the 2024 Aspen Cyber Summit last week, we were delighted to announce our eight runners-up, who each took home a $1,000 prize, and our grand prize winner, who was awarded $2,000.
Join us in congratulating these nine remarkable artists, and keep reading here to learn more about their posters. Plus, watch the closing remarks below.
Watch Closing Remarks
See the Winning Posters
Posters were scored across three criteria: creativity and originality, craftsmanship, and command of cybersecurity topics. Judges then selected the nine top-scoring posters, including four runners-up ages 14-15, four runners-up ages 16-17, and one grand prize winner across both categories.
We are thrilled to share the winning posters and artists’ statements below. Congratulations again, everyone!
The Aspen Institute holds the perpetual, irrevocable, nonexclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to receive, process, view, share and store the below artwork. You are free to share these images with attribution to the artist and to Aspen Digital.
GRAND PRIZE WINNER
AYLIN L., 16
My poster conveys the various ways to stay safe online. From my experience of having not so tech savvy parents I included some of the things I’ve had to teach them, so they don’t get hacked or have their information robbed. So hopefully through this poster I spread some ways to stay safe online.
RUNNER-UP
CHARLIZE S., 14
I created this poster to raise cybersecurity awareness in a engaging way to people of all ages. Inspired by video games, it features a team of animals embodying important cybersecurity practices like strong passwords, VPNs, and two-factor authentication. These heroes courageously stand against intimidating monsters representing viruses, malware, and phishing. The glitchy border pushing into the enemy side emphasizes how effective cybersecurity can repel threats, with the health status showing the heroes’ progress. My aim is to inspire everyone to recognize their role in protecting our digital realms and to remind us that, together, we can overcome any cyber threat.
RUNNER-UP
MAYA D., 15
My poster depicts a moment in a heated basketball game where Victor Wembanyama, who is 7 foot 4 inches tall, dunks over a shorter player. I understand that keeping your data safe is a huge part of cybersecurity and you need to have a good long password. I then used the concept of something famously long like Wembanyama’s legs to make creating very long passwords seem more fun and exciting.
RUNNER-UP
JULIA M., 15
My poster reflects different ways that people are at risk and ways that cybersecurity can help them. The poster has a camera, phone, laptop, and the Wi-Fi symbol to display various forms of technology. The vibrant colors evoke emotion; the orange spikes for anxiety, the green waves for calm, and the blue which is commonly associated with technology and the online world. Most importantly, the phrase “Cyber safety starts with you” emphasizes that you play a role in your own online security.
RUNNER-UP
SOLIKA M., 15
Taking inspiration from artists like Max Kolo, I opted for a saturated and vivid color palette. The poster makes a statement from farther away, however, as one approaches, new aspects are discovered: the writing via keyboard, the calendar with information trying to escape, and much more. Over the cream watercolor background, I wanted the color pencil and texture of the paper to shine through, providing an interesting canvas for poignant points on cybersecurity. The message of the piece is straightforward; showcasing how cyberseKEYrity locks away the monsters of personal information and data every calendar day.
RUNNER-UP
DALIYA V., 16
My poster is about how simple every-day guidelines of cyber security can keep your digital self and safety on the ‘right-track’. The poster displays people (users) traveling on a pathway made up of numerous cyber security practices and tips that keep you secure; such as an effective password, fingerprint identification, virus scanner/protector, checking if a website is secure with https, avoid clicking on anything phish-y (‘𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩𝘺’), a firewall for network security, and just being careful about what information you place on a social media profile. This poster is meant to emphasize a better and safer digital experience through cybersecurity.
Runner-up
MILEY M., 17
I focused my poster on maintaining your identity and security online. The whole concept of “seeing double” in the context of my poster is seeing an imposter of yourself online who’s stolen your information. That is why the two women are within a computer screen and mirror each other but, aren’t quite the same. At the bottom of my poster, I added 4 easy steps people can take to protect their identity while using technology. To prevent them from”seeing double” and browse the internet safely.
RUNNER-UP
SOFIA N., 16
Inspiration from the classic “Jaws” poster: links phishing to the digital ocean (the internet)
“Beware the Deep”: warning about the dangerous deep web and online troubles from information leaks
“Protect your Digital Reefs”: connects real-world damage of overfishing to harmful phishing attacks to personal information
Mouse cursor: highlights risk of clicking on phishing links
Swimming social media profile picture: shows vulnerability in everyday online interactions
Binary code hand: implies people manipulate code to steal information, making it hard to stay afloat in a sea of digital threats
Binary code ocean: indicates diving deeper into the web increases susceptibility
RUNNER-UP
UYEN D., 16
Files may seem safe on the surface, but you don’t know if it’s a virus. Not only can files execute many things, it can be powerful enough to hack into accounts and steal data. Your system can be locked out and held for ransom without precautions.
Devon Regal
Program Associate
Devon Regal is a Program Associate at Aspen Digital, where she works to implement and run operational processes and provide programmatic support for our programs. She brings experience from a variety of roles in policy research, project management, and communications support for nonprofits and social impact organizations. Prior to Aspen, she held internships at Common Cause and Democracy Fund.
Sasha Cohen O’Connell
Senior Director, Cybersecurity Programs
Sasha Cohen O’Connell, PhD is the Senior Director for Cybersecurity Programs at Aspen Digital. Dr. O’Connell comes to Aspen from American University where she was an Executive in Residence and Senior Professorial Lecturer teaching U.S. cyber policy at the graduate and undergraduate levels and leading the graduate certificate in cyber policy and management she developed. O’Connell began her career at the FBI where she served most recently as the organization’s Chief Policy Advisory, Science and Technology and as the Section Chief of Office of National Policy for the FBI’s Deputy Director where she led policy engagement with the National Security Council on a wide breadth of issues.
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