Air Force Association Announces National Finalists for CyberPatriot XIV

ARLINGTON, Va., Feb. 15, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association's CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education program announced today the 28 teams that will compete at the CyberPatriot XIV National Finals Competition on March 18-20, 2022.

From the initial field of 5,254 teams that began the competition in October 2021, only 12 Open Division, 13 All Service Division, and three Middle School Division teams advanced through all four highly competitive online qualifying rounds to earn the distinction of National Finalist. They represent schools and other educational organizations from California, Colorado, Florida, Germany (DoD), Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ontario (CAN), South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. The full list of the National Finalists teams can be found here.

"Each one of these qualifying teams should be extremely proud of their achievement. It is no small feat being in the top 0.5% of teams who have made it to the final round of competition, especially in what has been the most challenging competition season to date," said Rachel Zimmerman, CyberPatriot's National Commissioner. "We are looking forward to an exciting National Finals Competition and to returning to an in-person event."

The National Finals Competition will be held as a "hybrid" event to accommodate any COVID-19 travel restrictions and regulations faced by the qualifiers. Teams that are willing and able to travel (with permission from their parent organization) are invited to attend the in-person event at the North Bethesda Marriott in Rockville, Md., while teams or individuals that are unable or unwilling to travel are granted permission to compete from a remote location. This is the first time the competition has been in-person since 2019.  

The CyberPatriot Program Office's technical staff is planning a robust National Finals Competition which will include the Network Security Master Challenge, the Cisco NetAcad Challenge, the AT&T competition component. Teams will also participate in a networking event with CyberPatriot sponsors and an Awards Banquet. Open and All Service Division teams are vying for scholarship funds, while Middle School Division teams have a chance to bring home bragging rights.

CyberPatriot, the nation's largest youth cyber education program, is 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. 

Supporters of CyberPatriot include the Northrop Grumman Foundation, CyberPatriot's Presenting Sponsor, as well as Cyber Diamond sponsors Boeing, Cisco, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and Microsoft; Cyber Gold sponsors Air Force Reserve, AT&T, BNY Mellon, Facebook, Symantec, and the USAA Foundation; and Cyber Silver sponsors Air Force STEM, American Military University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Gannon University, Leidos, Mastercard, and University of Maryland Global Campus.

To learn more about CyberPatriot, please visit AFA's CyberPatriot website www.uscyberpatriot.org.

About AFA
An independent non-profit association, AFA is the single-largest professional military association dedicated to air and space power and to the advancement of aerospace education at every level. Founded in 1946, AFA is dedicated to promoting dominant U.S. Air and Space Forces as the foundation of a strong National Defense; honoring and supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and remembering and respecting the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.

SOURCE Air Force Association