College Board Launches AP Cybersecurity to Prepare Students to Protect the Digital World

New high school course builds foundational skills for college, careers, and service as states connect cybersecurity education to national security needs

NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyber threats reach into everyday life, from scams that steal families' savings to attacks on utilities and other essential services. Helping students understand and respond to those threats can open doors to further education, employment, and national defense service. College Board's new AP Cybersecurity course, which was launched in high schools this fall, gives students a place to begin.

In 2025, U.S. employers posted more than half a million job listings requiring cybersecurity skills. Yet many students have little opportunity to learn about cybersecurity in high school or see where those skills could take them.

Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here: https://www.multivu.com/college_board/9381153-en-college-board-launches-ap-cybersecurity

AP Cybersecurity introduces students to the work behind that demand: protecting the systems people depend on. Through practical scenarios, students assess security weaknesses, weigh risks, and investigate evidence of attacks. An assignment might ask them to evaluate threats to internet-connected farm equipment or recommend protections for computer networks aboard a naval submarine.

These assignments help students see how cybersecurity skills apply across industries and in national defense. Indiana offers an example of how those connections can take shape. The statewide Cybersecurity Partnership brings together high schools, colleges, employers, and the Indiana National Guard to help students explore routes into further education, employment, and military service.

The course and partnerships like Indiana's address two connected needs: giving students an introduction to cybersecurity and helping them understand where continued learning could lead. For students, that connection gives classroom assignments a larger purpose. Investigating a security weakness today can be a first step toward learning how to protect a hospital, secure a business, or defend the country.

Interested in learning more? Talk to your school district or high school to see if they are offering AP Cybersecurity or visit collegeboard.org

SOURCE College Board