High School Cyber Defense Competition Attracts More Than 500 Teams

Opportunity to Register for Cyber Security Education Initiative Ends Oct. 8

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Air Force Association announces today that CyberPatriot, the nation's largest and fastest-growing high school cyber defense competition, now has more than 500 registered teams. With 47 states, Puerto Rico and U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools in Japan and Korea already represented, word is getting out to high school educators across the country. Only Iowa, Montana and Wyoming have yet to join the competition.

The October 8 deadline to participate in CyberPatriot is now less than 10 days away.

CyberPatriot calls attention to one of the nation's most critical needs by exciting, educating and motivating the talent who will become the country's next generation of cyber leaders. It is also a unique opportunity for students to learn more about computer network defense with sponsoring companies providing support and technical expertise.

Teams have registered from public, private, parochial and home schools in many states in the competition's Open Division. Additionally, Junior ROTC units of all Services and Civil Air Patrol squadrons are rapidly filling the All-Service Division in this two-track competition.

Teams of five, with an approved coach (usually a teacher), learn to defend computer networks from real-life computer threat scenarios. In the preliminaries, hundreds of teams compete online using software provided by CyberPatriot to solve vulnerabilities in a network. The top teams then compete again in a series of online rounds to determine the finalists for an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, DC and the Championship Round at the Gaylord National Convention Center in April 2011.

"CyberPatriot is growing rapidly, attracting more and more teams, and exciting educators and students because of its unique structure," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "It provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to learn about cybersecurity through a competition that's fun for the students."

Coaches can learn more about CyberPatriot and sign up at www.uscyberpatriot.org. Information is also available from the CyberPatriot staff at [email protected].

CyberPatriot is presented by Northrop Grumman, with founding partners SAIC and the CIAS at the University of Texas-San Antonio.

The AFA is a 501(C)(3), nonprofit organization promoting public understanding of aerospace power and the pivotal role it plays in the security of the nation. AFA has over 200 chapters nationally and internationally representing 120,000 members.

SOURCE Air Force Association