North Dakota Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley today announced the availability of CyberPatriot, an online cybersecurity competition for middle and high school students. CyberPatriot is the National Youth Cyber Education Program created by the Air Force Association to inspire K-12 students toward careers in cybersecurity or other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines critical to our nation's future.
"CyberPatriot is a great opportunity for North Dakota students to learn skills that will help them in any field they enter,” said Chief Information Officer Shawn Riley. “Competition gives experience and will help them build their skills and contribute to becoming 21st century leaders.”
“It is vital we provide fun, engaging experiences for our students to learn about and practice the crucial skills required for strong cybersecurity,” said State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler. “Our nation needs talented cyber patriots in all sectors of our society, and this generation is ready to step up to the plate. CyberPatriot is an opportunity for students to learn valuable skills in a fun environment.”
The competition, designed for any student regardless of prior cybersecurity knowledge,
challenges teams to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. Using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system. Top teams advance through the online round of competition, and the best of the best advance to the in-person National Finals Competition. The competition includes a training round which ends Sept. 30 and a registration deadline of Oct 5.
For the second year, the State of North Dakota will cover registration fees for up to 25 schools. Schools should contact Tony Aukland at aaukland@nd.gov for more information. Otherwise there is a $205 registration fee for high school teams and a $165 fee for middle school teams. Waivers are available for all-girl teams, Title I schools and Service Division JROTC/CAP/NSCC teams. Full program details can be found on the CyberPatriot website.
North Dakota’s PK-20W Initiative is an award-winning, statewide approach to computer science and cybersecurity education. Learn more about the initiative here. And watch the video highlighting how North Dakota’s focus on STEAM education is helping students succeed in a 21st century global economy.
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C O N T A C T :
Jecca Geffre | 701-955-0304