Tech Probe

Report

TechProbe, held from October 4^th to October 28^th, 2024, was a comprehensive cybersecurity awareness initiative aimed at educating participants about the importance of cybersecurity and promoting safe online practices. The event focused on empowering individuals with the knowledge needed to protect themselves from digital threats, including phishing, password security, and data protection. The event was a Cybersecurity Quiz Challenge, which ran throughout the month via the Instagram handle Cyber Awareness Month (@avvcyber_cam).

Every alternative day, four cybersecurity-related questions were posted, starting at 8 PM, with a 5-minute interval between each question. These questions tested participants on a wide range of topics, including password security, basic cryptography, phishing scams, and safe online behaviours. The questions were selected based on specific events and topics related to cybersecurity and the speciality of that day. Some interesting topics on which we had themed the quiz included National Lovers Day, Nut day, Cerebral Palsy Day and more.

The difficulty of the questions varied from easy to moderate difficulty to engage both beginners and those with more advanced knowledge of Cybersecurity.

Answer and Winner Announcement Process:

• On days when no questions were posted, the correct answers to the previous day's questions were shared starting at 8 PM, along with the announcement of the winners.
• Participants were awarded points based on the accuracy of their responses and the time taken to answer those questions.
• Points were awarded as follows:
• 1st person to answer correctly = 5 points
• 2nd person = 4 points, and so on.
• The top five point scorers or the winners of that day were contacted and asked to provide their name, college, and branch for record-keeping purposes. These details were later used for announcing the final winners at the end of the event.
• The winners were tagged in the posts, and their college details were specified.
• An Excel spreadsheet was maintained to track participants’ Instagram usernames, the number of questions attempted, and the points earned each day.

The incredible organizing team included members of both the 2^nd and 3^rd years. The team comprised of Madhumita Shenbagarajesh (Co-ordinator), Ishitha Praveen, Vedhavarshini Vijayakumar, Soffia K N, Devi Nanda, Anwita Subbiah Velayutham, Ponvedica M S, Amita Narayanan Kutty and Harshith Gangisetty. They played a crucial role in the success of the event. Their collective efforts were instrumental in crafting engaging quiz questions, designing creative templates, and effectively promoting the quiz, ensuring the event’s widespread reach and participant engagement.

The TechProbe Quiz succeeded in fostering a sense of community and increasing cybersecurity awareness among participants. The event successfully engaged participants, encouraging them to learn about online safety and the importance of cybersecurity practices.