About the Project

In an increasingly dangerous online world, it's easier than ever for youth to find their way to hacking communities and tools. We're shifting that balance by providing a constructive cybersecurity community.

Our Goals

Most people driven to cybersecurity are puzzle solvers: hunting through logs, testing security controls, and breaking software all scratch that "itch" to figure out how a system works, then pick it apart. But until aspiring hackers end up in a real cybersecurity career it can be tricky to find safe and legal ways to scratch that itch.

It's easier than ever to find offensive cybersecurity resources - malware and hacking tools publicly available on github are just a click a way, software exploits are freely discussed on social media, hacking communities are plentiful. This ease of access can make learning quicker, but without understanding all the risks that come with this access it's easy to take these resources too far and end up in trouble.

The re_direct Project is striving to correct this imbalance by enabling youth to safely navigate an increasingly-dangerous cyber landscape. We're creating a community and resources to not only find an outlet for this hacker curiosity, but also provide ways to funnel it to build the next generation of digital leaders..

“When I was 16, I hacked my high school. If my principal called the police, instead of my guidance counselor, I would have been arrested.”

— A Current Big Tech Pen Tester.

“As a teenager, I spent most of my time online as a hacker. If I would not have found my local hackerspace, I know that eventually I would end up in prison.”

— Current General Counsel of a Tech Start-Up

Our Initiatives

  • Our obligations to our youth go beyond telling them what is right and wrong. We must also model that behavior and show them positive alternatives.

  • We offer connections to mentorship, hacking challenges, educational and career pathways to highlight the enormous opportunity available to a young person in tech.

Robust Mentorship & Opportunity for At-Risk Kids

  • Curating high-quality training and educational resources to help keep youth safe online

  • Providing opportunities to help train the next generation of digital leaders

  • Creating the first youth cyber diversion program in the United States

Everyone Who is Active Online

  • Working with public and private partners to tailored programs to empower at-risk youth

  • Creating career pathways for members to pursue their hacker dreams

  • Providing alternative community options to direct youth away from cybercrime and hacking groups

First Time Offense re_direction

FAQs

  • 52% of New York City teenagers had been hacked by age 16. One in five UK children between 10-16 were found to have engaged in illegal activity online. Our children are learning coding in schools but no code of ethics. Our kids begin their online lives at younger ages and more aspects of their lives are lived online than ever before. Its up to us to secure their digital futures.

  • The re_direct Project is pursuing 501(c)3 non-profit status. The re_direct Project will never seek to make a profit, will never be accountable to shareholders, and will never sell or share your data with anyone without your permission. We’re here for you, not anyone else.

  • Law enforcement does just that: enforce the law. It is up to us as a community to educate and empower our digital youth on the rights, responsibilities, and risks of online life so that they don't become justice involved. In 2010, over a quarter-million US students received misdemeanor citations from police officers assigned to their schools for behavior that previously would only have merited a meeting with school administrative personnel. While not specific to misconduct online, we know the lasting impact law enforcement involved, even an arrest, can have on a kid’s future. The re_direct project puts resources into the hands of educators, counselors, parents, and community leaders to have another option than calling the police.

  • We don't presume that we will solve cybercrime or reach every at-risk kid in the US. We instead seek to be a place where at-risk kids can find community, where parents and teachers can find resources, and where we can ultimately provide reliable, safe, and effective alternatives-to-incarceration and post-release programs to reduce recidivism. We aspire to be a program recognized by the courts, prosecutors, and by law enforcement as another avenue. We seek to repair harm not cause more. With the goal of being a service for justice-involved youth and keeping more kids from being justice-involved at all.

    However, we cannot ignore significant harms and as an organization committed to supporting survivors of online harms we will work to disrupt serious conduct that places people in serious danger.

  • Visit our page of resources for how to talk to your cyber-curious kid. But like a lot of talks we have with our kids, we're going to be so very uncool. That's where our community-based mentors through the 502 Project can help bridge that gap for concerned adults by providing a voice that our kids actually want to listen to.

  • First of all, thank you for what you do. Hardest job in the world. Thanks to you, these kids have a fighting chance. You're here. You're asking for help. Now for the good news. We have a team of cyber educators, career development experts, and curriculum developers working with us who are ready to help! Reach out to get started. Now hurry and finish lunch before they come back...

  • You are not alone. This bullying behavior does not define you. If you feel comfortable doing so, tell a parent, teacher, or guidance counselor at your school. Even if you don’t know anyone you could tell in person, we have resources and people here to help you deal with this.

    If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.

  • We partner with services to help remove this content. We know that going to your parents, going to the police, or maybe even telling anyone at all might not be possible for you right now. Our partners from innovated tech starts, non-profits, and law firms, are here to help you. You have done nothing wrong and even if it doesn’t feel like it right now, you are stronger than this. You are not alone. We’re here to help you fight back!

    If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here. For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.