Want To Become A Cyber Warrior?

Cyber security has become critical as our lives are being placed more and more on the Internet and interconnected computing systems. Therefore, it will take an army of skilled new comers to the Information Security field to protect and defend internet & computer usage for society.

One solution to satisfy the need

The US Cyber Challenge

Mission

Encouraging young people to develop the aptitude and skills to become the core of a strong cybersecurity community.



The US Cyber Challenge is looking for 10,000 young Americans with the skills to fill the ranks of cyber security practitioners, researchers, and warriors. Some will become the top guns in cyber security. The program will nurture and develop their skills, give them access to advanced education and exercises, and where appropriate, enable them to be recognized by colleges and employers where their skills can be of the greatest value to the nation.

Competitions Available

• CyberPatriot Defense Competition - an Air Force Association national high school cyber defense competition;
  
• DC3 Digital Forensics Competition - a Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center competition focusing on cyber investigation and forensics; and
  
• NetWars Capture the Flag Competition - A SANS Institute challenge testing mastery of vulnerabilities.
  

Digital Forensics Skills learned by youth

• Challenges with a solution well known to experienced examiners (e.g. File Signatures, Suspicious Software, Hashing Metadata, etc.)
  
• Challenges with a solution, but having a degree of difficulty (e.g. Data Hiding, File Headers, Passwords, Registry, etc.)
  
• Difficult challenges that may have a solution, but it is not well known (e.g. Encryption, Parsing, etc.)
  
• Challenges with no known solution (e.g. Communication Recovery/Parsing, Concealment of information within computer files, etc.)
  

Outcome

Finally, the best of the candidates will be brought into federal agencies like the National Security Agency, the FBI, DoD DC3, US‐CERT, and US Department of Energy Laboratories, all of which are helping to make this program effective.

To enable employers to find promising candidates, the program will include a web site where outstanding candidates from this challenge and other related challenges are illuminated with profiles in common, easy‐to‐assess formats. No names will be provided to ensure candidate privacy, but when reputable employers find candidates.

References:

http://www.sans.org/netwars/

http://www.bankinfosecurity.com/articles.php?art_id=1656

http://www.whitehouse.gov/files/documents/cyber/The%20United%20States%20Cyber%20Challenge%201.1%20(updated%205-8-09).pdf

http://csis.org/uscc