This 9-Year-Old CEO Knows more about Cyber Security Than You Do
Alex Espenson
@alexespenson
Meet Reuben Paul. He has a black belt in in Kung-fu, is CEO and founder of Prudent Games inc., a gaming company that teaches users while they play, and very well established in the cyber security universe as "The RAPstar."
Oh and he's only 9-years-old.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WocYRj0uChE]
The Austin, Texas native is making national attention with his kid-friendly apps, as well as his knowledge in cyber security. Paul's successful apps from Prudent Games include: Cracker Proof, which teaches kids how and why to build strong passwords online; and Crack Me If You Can, that teaches about bruteforce attack and Shuriken Math, that uses ninja stars to help kids solve math problems.
Furthermore, Paul has shared his genius with the world through various conferences, including teaching the importance of kids' learning and understanding cyber security. He also successfully demonstrates how hackers can easily retrieve passwords and break into systems. What is Paul's ultimate goal? To encourage schools worldwide to implement curriculum that teaches the importance of cyber security and eliminate the dangers that come with it.
For instance, Paul told iDigitalTimes, "With all the data breaches, cyber bullying and other kinds of attacks happening on the Internet, it's important for us to teach kids and educate them on the dangers so they can protect themselves."
Paul argues that because kids are dealing with technology at early ages thanks to playing with iPhones and iPads apps, it's necessary for them to know the basics of cyber security, specifically passwords, in order to stay safe while enjoying the internet.
Passwords are a great introduction for anyone learning about cyber security. With long, effective passwords, more data can be protected. SolarWinds emphasizes the importance of making passwords at least 12 characters long and avoid patterns like "123456" or "qwerty."
In addition to cyber security and developing apps with his dad, Mano, Paul has extensive knowledge in Object C programming language and is learning Swift programming for Apple's iOS platform. Currently, Mano and his son are working on creating a program called Cyber Shaolin, which provides educational videos that teachers can use in the classroom. The idea is to implement these videos and lessons into school curriculum worldwide.
Furthermore, all of this success has led Paul to be a keynote speaker at international events, including Ground Zero Summit in India last year and HITB Security Conference in the Netherlands this month. All and all, Reuben Paul is a name to remember in the coming years as he continues to grow in the cyber security industry.
Image Credit: Reuben A Paul (RAPstar)
Tags: Privacy and Security
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Alex Espenson is a recently retired business owner turned consultant, with a passion for entrepreneurism and marketing. When he isn't writing or consulting, you can usually find him out on the river with his fly rod, or hiking in the hills near his home in Boulder Colorado.