CyberPatriot IV Update

AFA's CyberPatriot is preparing for another round of competition this weekend, with the All Service Division entering the second preliminary round.

In the meantime, the headquarters staff has been working even harder to expand the educational reach of the competition, which includes the addition of a forensics element in the national finals competition and the completion of a pre-competition survey.

During the National Finals Competition of CyberPatriot IV, 24 teams of finalists will compete in a new forensics exercise, teaching about 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.

And after distribution to 1,000-plus student competitors, CyberPatriot IV’s pre-competition survey was completed earlier this month, gathering information on participants’ general knowledge of all things cyber. The survey asked questions addressing students’ overall understanding of cyber security and their likeliness to pursue a career is science, technology, engineering and/or mathematics. Results will be compared with a similar survey after the completion of this year’s competition. This survey is an analytical effort to measure the effect CyberPatriot is having on the students who participate in the competition.

“This competition is about academic growth and teaching beyond the fundamental curriculum found in schools,” said Bernie Skoch, CyberPatriot Commissioner.