Like Luke Skywalker of “Star Wars’’ fame, David Love is a very young man fighting the forces of evil somewhere in space.
But Love doesn’t employ a lightsaber to do battle with the bad ones. The new frontier has become cyberspace, and Love uses a keyboard to strike back at those with wicked intent.
A Kankakee resident and 16-year-old who now attends the Illinois Math and Science Academy in Aurora, Love’s ability to create computer programs through coding has enabled him to build an app called Keychain External Login System. The app stores the passwords of clients in a secure system designed to keep hackers from stealing the information.
Others took notice of this app which keeps passwords out of sight. For the second consecutive year, Love has won the Congressional App Challenge for Illinois’ 2nd Congressional District. As a freshman at Kankakee High School last year, he won for the first time by developing Virtual ATM, an app that allows users to securely log into websites and complete monetary transactions.
Both have great value, but the most recent effort offers a strong step toward improved national security, and at a personal level, it helps ensure someone doesn’t steal your identity and every dime to your name.
After all, the FBI reported $3.5 billion was taken from Americans through internet theft in 2019, up from $2.7 billion the previous year. With the increase in internet transactions made necessary by the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s troubling to think about what the number might be for 2020.
U.S. Rep Robin Kelly, D-Matteson, the 2nd Congressional District representative, praised Love for that aspect of his creation.
“I’m especially pleased that David tackled the issue of cybersecurity, a problem of the greatest concern for our nation,’’ Kelly said.
What lies ahead for Love? He’s not certain, but it will likely involve computer science.
What will he create next? There’s no way any of us can envision it, and until Love does, we will just have to wait anxiously. In the meantime, we can share in some regional pride knowing someone as bright as he calls our area home.
"We won't sit idly by when a crime is committed in the real world. So why should we when it happens in cyber space?''
Max Baucus