CyberPatriot XV Crowns New Nationwide Champions

CyberPatriot XV launched final fall with 5,266 groups from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Canada, U.S. abroad territories, and navy dependent colleges in Europe and the Pacific. Simply 28 earned a ticket to the Nationwide Finals in Bethesda, Md., and only one crew from every of three divisions earned the coveted title of “champion.”

CyberPatriot topped its nationwide champions March 20:

“CyberAegis Tempest” from Del Norte Excessive Faculty in San Diego, Calif., took the honors within the Open Division;
“Runtime Terror” representing Troy Excessive Faculty’s Navy JROTC in Fullerton, Calif., received the All Service Division; and
“CyberAegis Vitalis” from Design 39 Campus in San Diego, received the Center Faculty Division.

CyberPatriot is the nation’s largest youth cyber training program and the Air & House Forces Affiliation’s flagship STEM program for advancing youth cyber expertise. The annual Nationwide Youth Cyber Protection Competitors includes greater than 5,000 groups from center and excessive colleges yearly.

The finals competitors included quite a lot of challenges over three days. Groups competed to take care of servers and restore system vulnerabilities whereas defending towards simulated cyberattacks.

“You’re really America’s future and what you’re doing in cyber will not be solely outstanding, however wanted,” stated AFA President & CEO Lt. Gen. Bruce “Orville” Wright, USAF (Ret.), because the groups gathered to start the competitors. “I need to emphasize that time. We want you. We want your creativity, your concepts, your willingness to share, and your boldness. You’re already CyberPatriots, and the identify says all of it: a dedication to not solely cyber, however to one thing larger than yourselves.”

John-Michael Linares, coach of “Runtime Terror” recommended all of the rivals, together with his personal championship crew. “The scholars labored actually laborious for this win,” he stated. “They spent numerous hours researching and making use of cybersecurity developments, assault vectors, and mitigations. Every year, I’m awestruck by the extent of technical experience the scholars are capable of obtain. This yr isn’t any exception.”

Winners take house greater than bragging rights. Additionally they received $51,000 in scholarships from Diamond Sponsor Cisco, the community know-how big. It was the fourth yr that Cisco awarded scholarships to the Cisco NetAcad Problem, bringing its complete scholarships awarded to CyberPatriot winners to over $200,000.

The highest three winners within the Open and All Service Divisions additionally had been awarded four-year undergraduate scholarships to Silver Sponsor Gannon College; first-place crew members acquired full scholarships, whereas second-place crew members acquired $4,000 every, and third-place crew members acquired $3,000 every.

Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Gagnon, deputy chief of house operations for intelligence, recommended each the groups and the sponsors on the Nationwide Finals banquet.

“America talks lots about staying sturdy and staying protected,” he stated. “With the intention to do this, it takes company residents like this that, whatever the backside line, say that we have to give again. As a result of, when we have to construct expertise within the younger era … we have to reward what we need to see. That’s how we inspire, and that’s how we incentivize.”

Different notable House Power, Air Power, and business figures becoming a member of within the ceremonies included Lauren Barrett Knausenberger, Chief Data Officer for the Division of the Air Power; Aaron Copeland, vp of engineering for Northrop Grumman’s Mission Programs sector; Cindy DeCarlo, director of world authorities and nationwide safety for Cisco; and Veronica Daigle, director of acquisition and innovation coverage at Boeing.

CyberPatriot introduced six new Cyber All-American Awards, given to senior-class CyberPatriot rivals who certified for the Nationwide Finals in 4 consecutive seasons:

Chan Chung from Troy Excessive Faculty
Akhil Guntur from Del Norte Excessive Faculty
Johnathan Lin from Del Norte Excessive Faculty
Brian Ni from Troy Excessive Faculty
Akshay Rohatgi from Del Norte Excessive Faculty
Alvin Zheng from Del Norte Excessive Faculty

“The tip of every season is bittersweet,” stated Paul Johnson, coach of CyberAegis, which has fielded 11 Championship groups in eight years. “I’ve been with many of the seniors for six or 7 years. I attempt to persuade [them] to repeat their senior yr to allow them to stick with the crew, however for some cause all of them insist on going off to school and taking over difficult careers.”

Purposes to compete in CyberPatriot’s sixteenth season open April 1. To be taught extra about CyberPatriot and register your crew, go to www.uscyberpatriot.org.