GCISD students working to 'break' the GCISD security filter.

The week after school let out for summer vacation, approximately 20 sixth-12th grade students gathered at Cannon Elementary School to hack the district’s internet filter. It was not a gathering with malicious intent, but rather a “Beat the Internet Filter Challenge” two-day camp hosted by GCISD Technology Service and the district’s internet filter provider, Lightspeed.

“It’s a way for us as a district to strengthen our defenses by working with students,” stated GCISD Chief Technology Officer Kyle Berger.

As GCISD’s tech team and Lightspeed engineers cheered on students, Heritage Middle School incoming eighth grader Emma Allen found a way to circumvent the filter to get on to a game site, but she also understood the purpose of the camp.

Succeeding at this camp, “is a good thing because they can update the filter and keep us [students] from getting off track and keep us on learning,” she said.

Simple games were easy to download, but camper Benny Stevens made an insightful observation about the district’s devices, saying “with these Chromebooks that we have, it’s really difficult to get past it [filter].”

On day two of the camp, students had the opportunity to go on stage, connect their devices to the cafeteria’s large screen and demonstrate their skills, all which they entered on a Google form. The tech team and Lightspeed took note of these breakthroughs and will now work to deploy patches to bolster the filter.

“By involving students in the process of testing and attempting to bypass the internet filter, the district is able to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that they may not have been aware of otherwise,” Berger added. “By allowing them to actively participate in testing the filter's capabilities, students gain a deeper understanding of the rationale behind internet filtering and the importance of maintaining a safe and secure educational environment. This approach promotes transparency, fosters a sense of ownership, and encourages students to be responsible digital citizens.”