Digital Badges Enhance California Mayors Cyber Cup

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Feb. 26, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- In addition to winning a trophy to display at their local City Hall, the top finishing teams in the California Mayors Cyber Cup (CMCC) will receive a little something extra to boost their online profiles and signal to colleges and employers that they value cybersecurity education and are ready to be part of the future ethical workforce.

Each student on the first, second and third place teams will receive a digital badge signifying their achievement in the event. These credentials can be shared on social media platforms and other online profiles.

CMCC participants will be defending the national electrical grid from an attack by a bad actor. They will perform audits of human resource records, network infrastructure, security policies and compliance, and supply chain and maintenance records to find vulnerabilities in technology platforms as well as company policy. All this to prevent the bad actors from gaining a foothold in the grid to "Make America Dark."

Each of these tasks relates directly to areas of the NIST Cybersecurity framework and the job roles defined in that framework. Winning in this competition demonstrates a proficiency with these roles and is the primary reason digital achievement awards (badges) are being awarded with the traditional medals.

Digital badges carry metadata that defines what it takes to obtain the badge and how those criteria map to educational or industry standard measures. These credentials are increasingly important in the modern workplace as companies rely on AI and other technologies to screen candidates and find people with specific skill sets that match their needs.

The middle and high school students competing in the CMCC are not heading into the workforce just yet, but they can use their digital badges on college and scholarships applications. The badges will make them stand out from other applicants in the increasingly competitive college admissions landscape.

Members of the first, second and third place teams from each of the 12 competitions will receive a digital badge to demonstrate their proficiency in key cybersecurity concepts. The initiative to bring digital credentials that have career relevance into education and these types of competitions is another initiative coordinated by SynED, a nonprofit organization that also supports the CMCC and the California Cyberhub initiatives.

"Digital badges enable students and professionals to better articulate what it is they are learning by providing precise information—in the form of badge metadata— related to the skill demonstrated or knowledge acquired," said Lee Yarborough, SynED project manager and lead on the digital badges initiative. "They provide a vehicle for competitors to display their accomplishments – and encourages their aspiration to achieve more."

When someone clicks on the badge in a person's profile, they will see all of the skills that were required to earn it. The skills specific to the CMCC are cyber ethics, cyber governance, cyber hygiene, cyber defense, critical analysis, threat intelligence, data loss prevention, collaboration, teamwork, communication, leadership, problem solving, infrastructure management, and troubleshooting.

The digital badge issuing and hosting services for the CMCC are generously provided by Credly, an organization that creates digital credentials across a variety of sectors and industries.

The California Mayors Cyber Cup will be held Saturday throughout California. For more information, visit https://ca-cyberhub.org/resources/mayors-cyber-cup/.

About California Cyberhub

The California Cyberhub is an initiative hosted at SynED, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization focused on bringing innovation to education and workforce development. The California Cyberhub initiative is made possible by a collaborative effort of volunteers and funding from California public education, government and business. Supporters include the California Community Colleges Chancellor's office, Community College Regional Consortiums, the California Governor's Office of Business and Economic Development, the California Department of Education and countless volunteers and champions across the state. For more information about the California Cyberhub, visit ca-cyberhub.org.

About SynED

SynED is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting educational excellence by providing higher education professional services to facilitate the development of new models of curriculum, industry alliance, service, and delivery. For more information about SynED, visit syned.org.

About Credly

Credly empowers organizations to officially recognize individuals for demonstrated competencies and skills. The company's mission is to connect people to opportunity based on their talent and capabilities. For more information about Credly, visit credly.com.

Contact:

Chrissy Ybarra

8054588878

[email protected]

SOURCE California Cyberhub

Related Links

https://ca-cyberhub.org