CyberPatriot IV Adds Forensics to National Finals Competition

ARLINGTON, Va., Nov. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CyberPatriot, the National High School Cyber Defense Competition, doesn't just grow in number of participants, but also in the competition's educational reach.

During the National Finals Competition of CyberPatriot IV, 24 teams of finalists will compete in a new forensics exercise, teaching and testing high school competitors on the exciting field of cyber forensics through the application of crime scene analysis, evidence gathering and critical thinking.  The expansion to the competition has been made possible by the Defense Cyber Crime Center.

Established by the Air Force Association (AFA), CyberPatriot is the nation's largest and fastest growing high school cyber security challenge. Its unique structure provides students hands-on learning while competing virtually against their peers and introduces many to the idea of cyber security as a profession. The competition also joins the nation in efforts to bolster student interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) studies.

Teams are now competing in the competition's preliminary online rounds of competition, where they must identify vulnerabilities in simulated computer networks and work to defend those networks from realistic threat scenarios. This year, over 1,000 teams will compete in three rounds to determine the 24 finalist groups who win all-expenses-paid trips to Washington, D.C. and the National Finals Competition in Washington, D.C. in March 2012.

"This competition is about academic growth and teaching beyond the fundamental curriculums found in schools," said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner. "The addition of cyber forensics adds an exciting element of education to the competition and allows these high school students to get exposure to another fascinating aspect of cyber security.  We are enormously grateful to Special Agent (Retired) Jim Christy and the Defense Cyber Crime Center for their generous support."

CyberPatriot is presented by the Northrop Grumman Foundation, with founding partners SAIC and the CIAS at the University of Texas-San Antonio. More information can be found on CyberPatriot at www.uscyberpatriot.org.

CyberPatriot is a member of the U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC), a national coalition of public-private sector entities collaborating to enhance the workforce with the next generation of cyber security professionals through skill development activities, mentoring, and resources, and the facilitation of scholarship, internship and employment opportunities.

More information is available at www.uscyberpatriot.org or from the CyberPatriot staff at [email protected].

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. Visit www.AFA.org.  Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AirForceAssociation) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/AirForceAssoc).

SOURCE Air Force Association

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