Game On: CompTIA Teams with National Cyber League to Promote Hands-on Cybersecurity Skills Competitions

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Jul 07, 2020, 10:20 ET

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 7, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CompTIA, the leader in vendor-neutral technical education and certifications for the world's technology workforce, announced today it is teaming up with the National Cyber League (NCL) to support NCL's cyber competition and promote education, skills and careers in cybersecurity.

The NCL, powered by its partner Cyber Skyline, is a biannual cybersecurity competition for high school and college students consisting of hands-on, realistic, industry skill-based challenges across multiple learning domains, designed to test and build their cyber skills. More than 10,000 students from over 300 colleges and universities across the U.S. participate annually in NCL competitions.

"CompTIA, NCL and Cyber Skyline share a common mission to develop students who are passionate and well prepared for careers in cybersecurity," said John McGlinchey, executive vice president for global certification at CompTIA. "By competing in NCL Games and pursuing CompTIA certifications, students will demonstrate to prospective employers that they have the commitment and skills to become immediate contributors to a cybersecurity team."

Among the activities CompTIA has planned for NCL students and their Player Ambassadors (instructors) are educational sessions on the CompTIA Cybersecurity Career Pathway, which offers guidance for people interested in working in the field of cybersecurity. CompTIA will also offer pre-competition prep sessions for NCL players ahead of events on the NCL's 2020-21 schedule.

Players that place at the top of each bracket during the NCL's Fall 2020 and Spring 2021 individual competitions will receive a free CompTIA student membership.

Students on the championship teams will each receive a free CompTIA certification exam voucher plus self-study test preparation materials and full CompTIA membership.

NCL coaches and faculty who join the CompTIA Instructor Network will have access to free "Train the Trainer" sessions on CompTIA certifications and curriculum. If their academic institution is a member of the CompTIA Academy Partner Program, they will be eligible to receive complimentary test vouchers for CompTIA certification exams.

Current members of the CompTIA Instructor Network have the opportunity to learn from the NCL how to develop and support "virtual" cyber competitions as a part of their curriculum.

NCL's independent community of Player Ambassadors, led by Kaitlyn Bestenheider (aka "CryptoKait") will work with CompTIA to review content that supports student coaching efforts and ensure that all important industry domains are incorporated into the NCL competition.

The two organizations will explore other collaborative activities, programs and promotions to support their joint mission of building a robust pipeline of diverse cybersecurity professionals.

About CompTIA

The Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) is a leading voice and advocate for the $5.2 trillion global information technology ecosystem; and the estimated 75 million industry and tech professionals who design, implement, manage, and safeguard the technology that powers the world's economy. Through education, training, certifications, advocacy, philanthropy, and market research, CompTIA is the hub for advancing the tech industry and its workforce. Visit www.comptia.org to learn more.

About National Cyber League

Founded in 2011 by an alliance of public agencies dedicated to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, the NCL is a nonprofit cybersecurity competition that measures the ability of students to perform real-world cybersecurity tasks. Powered by industry-leading cybersecurity skills evaluation technology from Cyber Skyline, the competition has students identify hackers from forensic data, break into simulated bank websites, recover from ransomware attacks, and more. Visit nationalcyberleague.org to learn more.

Contacts:

Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
[email protected]
www.comptia.org

Dan Manson
National Cyber League
909-455-2403
[email protected]
nationalcyberleague.org

SOURCE CompTIA