CyberPatriot

Ages:Middle School, High School

Types:Tournament, Performance

Categories:Coding & Computer Science, Cyber Security, STEM

Scope:International

Registration

Entry Fee: $

Contact


info@uscyberpatriot.org

CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition challenges teams of high school and middle school students to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. Using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system.

If you are new to CyberPatriot, you will first need to create a volunteer account. Returning coaches, technical mentors, and team assistants can use their existing accounts from previous seasons.

Each team has two challenges during their six-hour competition period:

  • Network Security Challenge: involves finding and fixing security vulnerabilities in Windows and Linux operating systems.
  • Cisco Networking Challenge: consists of an online quiz and a virtual networking exercise (Packet Tracer) based on specific training materials.

Top teams advance through the online rounds of competition, and the best of the best advance to the in-person National Finals Competition.

  • Round 1 and Round 2 scores are used to place Open Division Teams and All Service Division teams into tiers of Platinum, Gold, or Silver.
    • The Middle School Division is not placed in tiers
  • The State Round and Semifinals Round are elimination Rounds where only the top teams will advance in each tier.
  • The top teams from each division (Platinum Tier only) will travel to Bethesda, MD with all expenses paid to compete in the In-Person National Finals Competition.
    • In the Open Division, the top 12 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition
    • In the All Service Division the top 13 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition
    • In the Middle School Division, the top 3 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition

Teams gain points for finding and fixing vulnerabilities in up to four virtual images, including Windows 10, Windows Server, Ubuntu, and Debian.  Teams can lose points for making a system less secure.  For the networking portion of the competition, teams are challenged by a quiz and a simulated Packet Tracer exercise.
CyberPatriot

Team Award.

State Round Awards

  • Open Division: The top three teams overall in each state, Canada, and the At-Large region receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • All Service Division: The top three teams overall (regardless of category) in each state, Canada, and the At-Large region in receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • Middle School Division: The top three teams overall in each state, Canada, and At-Large region receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • *Because the level of difficulty varies between tiers and scores are not adjusted for difficulty, Platinum Tier teams always rank higher than Gold Tier teams, which always rank higher than Silver Tier teams.
  • *The top three Gold tier teams and the top three Silver tier teams in each state, Canada, and At-Large teams receive via email a digital State Round Tier Certificate.
Semifinals Awards
  • All Divisions: All teams qualifying for the Semifinals receive via email a digital Semifinalist Certificate.
National Finals Awards
  • Teams receive all expense paid travel to Bethesda, MD for an in-person National Finals Competition. Teams advancing to the National Finals Competition will receive hard-copy certificates at the in-person event along with CyberPatriot and sponsor gifts.

Website: http://www.uscyberpatriot.org/

Managing Organization: Air Force Association

Contact:

info@uscyberpatriot.org

Eligibility:
OPEN DEVISION: All high school and senior high-level students may compete on an Open Division team, provided that team is fielded by one of the organizations below. (1) Public School (2) Parochial School (3) Home School (4) Private School (5) Magnet School (6) Charter School (7) Scouting Unit (8) State-Chartered Virtual School (9) Boys and Girls Club (10) YMCA and YWCA Centers ALL SERVICE DIVISION: All high school and senior high-level students may compete on an All Service Division team, provided that team is fielded by one of the organizations below, per these organizations’ memoranda of agreement that govern their CyberPatriot participation. (1) Army JROTC (2) Marine Corps JROTC (3) U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (4) Navy JROTC (5) Air Force JROTC (6) Civil Air Patrol. *Space Force JROTC programs compete under AFJROTC. MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION: All middle school and junior high-level students may compete on a Middle School Division team, provided the team is fielded by one of the approved Middle School Division organizations listed below. (1) Public School (2) Charter School (3) State-Chartered Virtual School (4) Private School (5) Magnet School (6) Civil Air Patrol (7) Home School (8) Boys and Girls Club (9) U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps/ Navy League Cadet Corps (10) Parochial School (11) Scouting Unit (12) YMCA and YWCA Centers.

Registration Opens: January 1, 1970

Registration Closes: October 1, 2022

Overview

CyberPatriot’s National Youth Cyber Defense Competition challenges teams of high school and middle school students to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities in virtual operating systems. Using a proprietary competition system, teams are scored on how secure they make the system.

If you are new to CyberPatriot, you will first need to create a volunteer account. Returning coaches, technical mentors, and team assistants can use their existing accounts from previous seasons.

Process

Each team has two challenges during their six-hour competition period:

  • Network Security Challenge: involves finding and fixing security vulnerabilities in Windows and Linux operating systems.
  • Cisco Networking Challenge: consists of an online quiz and a virtual networking exercise (Packet Tracer) based on specific training materials.

Top teams advance through the online rounds of competition, and the best of the best advance to the in-person National Finals Competition.

  • Round 1 and Round 2 scores are used to place Open Division Teams and All Service Division teams into tiers of Platinum, Gold, or Silver.
    • The Middle School Division is not placed in tiers
  • The State Round and Semifinals Round are elimination Rounds where only the top teams will advance in each tier.
  • The top teams from each division (Platinum Tier only) will travel to Bethesda, MD with all expenses paid to compete in the In-Person National Finals Competition.
    • In the Open Division, the top 12 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition
    • In the All Service Division the top 13 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition
    • In the Middle School Division, the top 3 teams qualify for the National Finals Competition

Criteria

Teams gain points for finding and fixing vulnerabilities in up to four virtual images, including Windows 10, Windows Server, Ubuntu, and Debian.  Teams can lose points for making a system less secure.  For the networking portion of the competition, teams are challenged by a quiz and a simulated Packet Tracer exercise.

Awards

CyberPatriot

Team Award.

State Round Awards

  • Open Division: The top three teams overall in each state, Canada, and the At-Large region receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • All Service Division: The top three teams overall (regardless of category) in each state, Canada, and the At-Large region in receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • Middle School Division: The top three teams overall in each state, Canada, and At-Large region receive a hard-copy AFA State Awards based on their State Round score.*
  • *Because the level of difficulty varies between tiers and scores are not adjusted for difficulty, Platinum Tier teams always rank higher than Gold Tier teams, which always rank higher than Silver Tier teams.
  • *The top three Gold tier teams and the top three Silver tier teams in each state, Canada, and At-Large teams receive via email a digital State Round Tier Certificate.
Semifinals Awards
  • All Divisions: All teams qualifying for the Semifinals receive via email a digital Semifinalist Certificate.
National Finals Awards
  • Teams receive all expense paid travel to Bethesda, MD for an in-person National Finals Competition. Teams advancing to the National Finals Competition will receive hard-copy certificates at the in-person event along with CyberPatriot and sponsor gifts.

Participate

Website: http://www.uscyberpatriot.org/

Managing Organization: Air Force Association

Contact:

info@uscyberpatriot.org

Entry Fee:

Eligibility:
OPEN DEVISION: All high school and senior high-level students may compete on an Open Division team, provided that team is fielded by one of the organizations below. (1) Public School (2) Parochial School (3) Home School (4) Private School (5) Magnet School (6) Charter School (7) Scouting Unit (8) State-Chartered Virtual School (9) Boys and Girls Club (10) YMCA and YWCA Centers ALL SERVICE DIVISION: All high school and senior high-level students may compete on an All Service Division team, provided that team is fielded by one of the organizations below, per these organizations’ memoranda of agreement that govern their CyberPatriot participation. (1) Army JROTC (2) Marine Corps JROTC (3) U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (4) Navy JROTC (5) Air Force JROTC (6) Civil Air Patrol. *Space Force JROTC programs compete under AFJROTC. MIDDLE SCHOOL DIVISION: All middle school and junior high-level students may compete on a Middle School Division team, provided the team is fielded by one of the approved Middle School Division organizations listed below. (1) Public School (2) Charter School (3) State-Chartered Virtual School (4) Private School (5) Magnet School (6) Civil Air Patrol (7) Home School (8) Boys and Girls Club (9) U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps/ Navy League Cadet Corps (10) Parochial School (11) Scouting Unit (12) YMCA and YWCA Centers.

Deadlines

Registration Opens: January 1, 1970

Registration Closes: October 1, 2022