AFA's CyberPatriot reaching high schoolers; Featured in SIGNAL

AFA's CyberPatriot National High School Cyber Defense Competition is growing and providing high schoolers with insight into some of the most exciting career fields of the future.

Featured here in AFCEA's Signal Magazine, the one-of-a-kind student cyber security competition reached 20,000 teens in its first full year, and plans are under way for significant expansion.

Adam Thurman, a member of the winning Team Doolittle from Utah, told Signal, "It was amazing when they read our names, because when they read second and third I thought, no way, no way," he says.

Signal quoted AFA's Executive Vice President, David "Buck" Buckwalter: "Cybersecurity is the hook because it's so hot." Nearly 200 teams participated in this year's CyberPatriot II, the first year the contest went national with a web-based simultaneous contest.

Jim Jaeger, director of Cyber Defense and Forensics for General Dynamics-AIS, a sponsor, was also quoted by Signal: "Our nation's future ability to defend against cyberthreats and protect its vital networks demands that we engage young people now and show them the dynamic careers that are in cyberdefense ... The excitement you see in these kids as they take on the defense of these networks in these competitions reinforces the optimism I have for our next generation. But that requires efforts like this to include and encourage young men and women."

Founding partner SAIC donated $25,000 to award scholarships to the top three teams. The first place team members received $3,000 each; second place were awarded $1,500; and third received $500.

Learn more about CyberPatriot here.