For Teachers and Administrators

 A nation-wide computer network defense competition for high school students  All schools are eligible: o Public o Private o Charter o Parochial o Home o Overseas military  Two “Divisions” o “All Service” for Junior ROTC and Civil Air Patrol cadets o “Open” for all other students and mixed (cadet + non-cadet) teams o Up to 1,250 teams in each Division 2

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4  A hacking contest  A recruiting program of the federal government or the military  A flash in the pan ◦ 2011/2012 is CyberPatriot’s fourth year

5  We are an “internet nation”  Government networks probed or attacked thousands of times every day  Commercial networks face similar attacks ◦ Banking/financial industries, power grids, natural gas & petroleum distribution, and many more depend on computer networks ◦ “Anonymous” hacker-activists shut down Visa and MasterCard sites ◦ “Stuxnet” virus crippled Iranian nuclear industry  Could it be used against friendly countries?

6  American universities not producing enough computer-security graduates ◦ The need will only grow in the future  Among 15-year-olds, America ranks ◦ 17 th in science performance ◦ 25 th in math performance ◦ Out of 34 industrialized countries  We need to excite high school students about these subject areas ◦ And all science, technology, engineering, and math fields

 Teams consist of a “coach,” 2-10 students, and one or more “mentors”  The Coach ◦ Must be a school employee but not necessarily a teacher ◦ Does not have to be a computer security expert ◦ Main jobs are:  Provide adult supervision to the team  Be the liaison between the school and CyberPatriot  Manage administrative details 7

 The team ◦ 2-10 students  Up to 5 compete in each round  Others are alternates ◦ Grades 9 to 12  Minimum age is 13 ◦ Girls encouraged!  Coach, alternate(s), & mentor(s) may observe but MAY NOT be actively involved during actual competition rounds 8

 The Mentor ◦ Team may have none, one, or many ◦ May come from inside or outside the school system ◦ Are the subject matter experts on security aspects of the Windows and Linux operating systems ◦ Your local AFA chapter is recruiting mentors now!  You may, too  Lesson learned: mentors are vital for team success 9

 All Service Division ◦ Round 1: Oct 29 & 30 ◦ Round 2: Dec 3 & 4 ◦ Round 3: Jan 14 & 15 ◦ Finals: March  Open Division ◦ Round 1: Nov 5 & 6 ◦ Round 2: Dec 17 & 18 ◦ Round 3: Jan 28 & 29 ◦ Finals: March  Team registration ◦ Opened April 1 st, 2011 ◦ Will close in early October  Teams can begin studying right away  Practice rounds begin in August  Competition rounds:

 First 3 rounds ◦ Team downloads a password-protected file containing a simulated network into a secure space inside their computer(s) ◦ Network contains:  One or more simulated file server and workstation computers running Windows or Linux operating systems  Each simulated computer has faults (viruses, trapdoors, key loggers, etc.) already installed ◦ Network & problems identical for all teams ◦ Networks get larger and more complex in each round 11

 Team has 6 hours to find and fix as many problems as they can  Progress monitored in real time ◦ “% complete” feedback provided ◦ Final scores released the following week  All teams compete in rounds 1 & 2 ◦ Up to 1,250 start round 1 in each Division  Only top 25% or so move on to round 3  Only 10 from each Division go to the semi- finals 12

13  Finals ◦ 12 teams from each Division compete  In All Service Division, 2 each from Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps JROTC and Civil Air Patrol, plus the next 2 highest-scoring teams  In the Open Division, the top 12 teams from round 3 ◦ In-person competition ◦ In Washington, DC, during AFA CyberFutures Conference  ALL TRAVEL, LODGING & MEAL EXPENSES PAID! ◦ Champions crowned in each Division  2 nd & 3 rd place teams also named  Scholarships awarded to top 3 teams

 Teamwork o Interpersonal & communication skills o Leadership & followership o Mutual respect & support  Problem solving  Attention to detail  Creative thinking  Perseverance  How to work under time pressure 14

 Community support ◦ Support from local businesses, colleges, and organizations can be life-changing experiences  Internship/summer-hire opportunities ◦ Students (and possibly coaches) have chance to get intern or summer-hire jobs  Computer donations ◦ Supporting businesses may donate computers that are more up-to-date than those your school has 15

 Registration fee ◦ Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps JROTC & CAP: free! ◦ Army JROTC & Open Division teams: $350  Considerably less than many other programs  Team receives software licenses, t-shirts, commemorative coins, and more worth ~$2,000  Your local AFA chapter may be able to help ◦ Due when you have a coach and team and are ready to commit to competing 16

 Hardware ◦ Computers with:  Windows 2000 or newer or Macintosh or later  1 GHz or better Intel CPU chip or Apple equivalent  At least 20 GB free hard disk space  At least 2 GB RAM  Network interface card and appropriate modem for broadband internet access (cable or DSL)  AT&T providing “air phone” cards for schools without broadband access ◦ Video projectors connected to computers recommended but not required 17

18  Go to  Registration will be open until early October or all available slots in your Division are filled

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