Ben Sinclair built his own desktop computer when he was barely in his teens.

Today, the Freeport resident, a sophomore at Greely High School, yearns for more. He has his sites set on a career in digital forensics and cybersecurity. Sinclair, 16, has a great opportunity to embark on that path, as he’s been invited by Champlain College in Vermont to attend its Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Academy from July 19-Aug. 1.

Sinclair said he loves school, and learning in general.

“I enjoy creating and working on projects,” he said. “As a final project for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) class in Freeport Middle School, I was allowed to create a low-amperage hand-held Tesla coil from my own designs, and a few years ago, a community member helped me build my own desktop computer.”

Sinclair and his mother, Valerie DePalma, have raised some of the $4,200 needed for the science camp tuition, but remain about $3,000 short. He has written proposals for grants and applied for summer activity scholarships. Sinclair said he obtained his work permit as soon as he was legally able, and has worked at a summer job in Freeport since then. At the urging of supporters, he has set up an account at Atlantic Regional Federal Credit Union branches, including the one on Mallett Drive in Freeport. People wishing to contribute can make checks out to Benjamin Sinclair, and can drop them off at the drive-throufh, the night drop-off or at the inside desk.

Sinclair answered questions regarding his goals for the Tri-Town Weekly.

Q: You’ve had a passion for science since you were 3, we’re told. What’s your earliest remembrance of this passion, and tell us what it is that fascinates you.

A: My older brother, Daniel, was reading by age 3. He would read any book he could get his hands on, and particularly enjoyed reading through encyclopedias. Being a verbal learner, Daniel would explain all the things he was learning to me, and I was a happy recipient. Soon, I was reading as well as he was, and as we got older, we would spend hours discussing scientific knowledge otherwise esoteric to kids our age. Where we previously lived, we attended an after-school science club, where I first learned about computers. Before then, I had never really even touched a computer, but at the club, I was learning about software and how to use it, and being educated on the functions of different computer hardware. I was immediately enthralled by how versatile and complex computers were ­– it seemed that there was no end to their capabilities. Even now, I feel the same way. The world of computing is constantly growing, which satisfies my need to learn and discover new things. When I first started learning about computers, I was – and still am – captivated by their nearly limitless potential to mitigate and solve problems, both large and small, n our world.

Q: Tell us about your winning entry in last year’s Maine State Science Fair?

A: Last year, as a freshman, I won first place in the Behavioral and Social Sciences category in the Maine State Science Fair, held at Bangor High School in March. I created a computer program to test simple visual reaction time of participants, and embedded it in my own website along with a data form to allow participants to easily contribute to my project. I used the program to determine the correlation between listening to music and reaction time, and connected my findings to potential impacts on driving while listening to music. Although participation in the Maine State Science Fair is not required for sophomores, I chose to enter the fair again this year. I wanted to work on a project that was more involved this year, and would enable me to learn a new skill. I chose to create an email spam filter that would address and ameliorate some of the major problems with commercial spam filters. For the project I taught myself the rudiments of the Visual Basic coding language, and created the spam filter using the language. It was extremely exciting for me to create something completely new, and to see it through to the end, from the creation of the concept to testing the functioning program. I was unfamiliar with Visual Basic, and I was therefore in charge of finding resources that I could use to educate myself on an unfamiliar topic. I feel that this independence has strengthened ability to succeed by furthering my own learning outside of school, and has allowed me to become acquainted with skills and concepts formerly unknown to me. I competed in the fair on March 21, and received third place in the Computer Science category.

Q: You have been invited to the Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Academy science camp this summer at Champlain College in Vermont. What is that about?

A: I am wholeheartedly looking forward to attending Champlain’s Digital Forensics and Cybersecurity Academy. I thoroughly enjoy discovering concepts and learning how things function, and utilizing these inner workings in new and beneficial ways. My goal in attending is to learn the fundamentals of digital forensics from individuals who are highly experienced in their fields, and to further my education about computers and how they work, and how this information can be applied in a law enforcement setting. Attending the academy is highly important to me, as I’m very eager to further my education in the area I’m most passionate about. I fully intend to pursue a four-year degree in both digital forensics and cybersecurity, and subsequently obtain employment in a law enforcement-related career. I attended the open house to Champlain in October, where I met highly intelligent and passionate professors, who are recognized as top-level forensic practitioners. This solidified my already strong desire to participate in this field. Attending this academy will allow me to further access knowledge that would otherwise be unavailable to me or difficult to access, and supply me with hands-on experience. Digital forensics and cybersecurity will incorporate the need to constantly expand my knowledge and understanding, while also using my skills to aid others in a tangible and immediate way.

Q: Your career objective, to be a digital forensics and cybersecuirty scientist, has much relevance in today’s world. Can you elaborate on that.

A: As computers become increasingly integrated into everyday life, there arise more opportunities for data breaches and digital attacks to impact companies, individuals and governments. In conjunction with the increasing demand for new technology, the market for malware or orchestrated digital attacks has increased. Digital forensics involves investigating and analyzing such attacks, in relation to the prosecution of computer crimes. Cybersecurity studies potential risks and gaps in the security of computers, networks, etc., and aids in addressing and ameliorating those risks. Undoubtedly, verifying that such risks and threats to security are tended to before such an attack occurs is of paramount concern. And, if a digital attack does occur, it is also highly important that investigative teams are able to successfully analyze and utilize relevant data. Digital forensics and cybersecurity can be used to defend important data and infrastructure, determine innocence or guilt in criminal proceedings, as well as being used as counter-offensive measures against potential organizations or individuals that threaten the security or welfare of others.

Ben Sinclair