AFA Congratulates CyberPatriot XVII National Champions

ROCKVILLE, Md., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CyberPatriot's 17th season came to an exciting end on March 17, with the announcement of the winners of the Air & Space Forces Association's (AFA) annual National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. The competition field started with 5,050 teams and just 28 qualified for the National Finals. 

High school teams competed either in the Open Division, which is open to any high school aged team, or the All-Service Division for teams from Army, Air Force, Navy, or Marine Corps JROTC units, as well as Civil Air Patrol or Naval Sea Cadets. 

The 2025 National Champions are:

• Open Division: Team CyberAegis Phoenix from Scouting America Exploring Post 2928 (San Diego, Calif.)
• All-Service Division: Team Terabyte Falcons from Scripps Ranch High School Air Force JROTC (San Diego, Calif.)
• Middle School Division: Team CyberAegis Odyssey from Scouting America Exploring Club 2927 (San Diego, Calif.) won in the Middle School Division.

The full list of winners and runners-up can be found here.

The full photo library for the CyberPatriot national finals can be found here.

The national finals competition began March 15, when teams representing middle schools, high schools, JROTCs, and other educational organizations from around the world were put to the ultimate CyberPatriot test. After a challenging weekend, teams faced real-world cybersecurity scenarios in the Network Security Master Challenge, Cisco NetAcad Challenge, and Boeing Cyber Physical System Challenge, testing their skills in network defense, infrastructure security, and critical system protection. Following the events, teams attended a banquet on March 17, where the National Champions from each division were announced.

Each member of the Cisco NetAcad Challenge in the two high school divisions received education grants from Cisco, one of CyberPatriot's diamond sponsors.

"CyberPatriot's 17th season showcased the remarkable dedication and skill of young competitors who are shaping the future of cybersecurity," said Rachel Zimmerman, CyberPatriot's national commissioner. "With over 5,000 teams starting the journey, the National Finals highlighted the resilience and teamwork needed to overcome complex challenges Congratulations to all the winners, whose achievements reflect not only their technical prowess but also their commitment to excellence in this critical field."

Registration for the 2025-26 CyberPatriot 18 season will open on April 1. To learn more about CyberPatriot and register your team, please visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.

About CyberPatriot 

CyberPatriot is the nation's largest youth cyber education program and AFA's flagship STEM program dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among American youth. In addition to the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition for high school and middle school students, the program features AFA CyberCamps, an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative and Literature Series, a Tech Caregiver certification and community service opportunity, and CyberGenerations—a program aimed at equipping senior citizens with the skills needed to stay protected from cyber threats. For more information, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org  

About AFA 

The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for investment and support for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, and for supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 120,000 members and 200 chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote a dominant U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.

SOURCE Air & Space Forces Association