Teams of students from 16 high schools from all over Virginia sat at the round tables busily solving cybersecurity challenges that showcased their skills in cryptography, networking and reconnaissance.
Spotsylvania High School hosted the inaugural Commonwealth Cyber Cup on Saturday — and its team, Knight Force, coached by cybersecurity teacher Kristi Rice, won first place in the competition.
Rice organized the event with the help of the Virginia Cyber Range, an educational and research institute based at Virginia Tech. She said it's the first-ever statewide high-school level cybersecurity competition.
"The goal is to let kids have a platform to showcase their skills and a unique opportunity to see who is the best in the state," Rice said.
Virginia Military Institute hosts a statewide cybersecurity competition for college students, and Rice, who in 2021 received the Presidential Cybersecurity Education Award from the U.S. Department of Education and the National Security Agency, was inspired to organize a similar competition for high schoolers.
Teams traveled from as far away as Blacksburg, Norfolk and Loudoun to participate in Saturday's competition, which offered opportunities for both beginner and advanced cybersecurity students.
Spotsylvania High School's Knight Force won the advanced-level competition and the school's beginner team, CtlAltDel, won second place at that level.
The Cyber Cats from Stafford's Mountain View High School came in second place in the advanced league and first place in the beginner league.
"It's all about closing the skills gap," said Rice of the importance of cybersecurity education at the K-12 level.
Jobs in the field are in extremely high demand and the workforce has not expanded to meet the need. In response, Virginia's colleges and K-12 school divisions are working hard to make cybersecurity education and credentialing accessible to as many students as possible.
"Virginia is a leader in K-12 cyber education," said David Raymond, director of the Virginia Cyber Range. Established in 2017 and funded by a $4 million grant from the state of Virginia, the Virginia Cyber Range provides the state's public schools with infrastructure and courseware for cyber classes and after-school clubs.
"The need [for a cybersecurity workforce] is getting worse," Raymond said. "We need more of these kids doing this. It's not enough to have college-level education in this field."
Rice has been working to expand awareness of and interest in cybersecurity education in Spotsylvania County for the past six years. Enrollment in cyber courses at Spotsylvania High School have more than tripled since she began teaching them in 2018.
Rice takes her students on field trips to the National Security Agency and the FBI headquarters at Marine Corps Base Quantico so they can see real-world opportunities available to them.
She also consciously works to expand female enrollment in cyber courses. While the majority of students who participated in Saturday's competition were male, three out of the five members of Spotsylvania High School's Knight Force are female.
"Each year, it's about using the girls I have to get more girls interested," Rive said. "It's about showcasing what they're doing."
Three of Rice's female students spoke at a national conference on cybersecurity education last year. Her students organize and run a cybersecurity camp for middle school students, to introduce them to the course and to the related career opportunities — and to let younger girls see that there is a place for them.
There are already 100 kids signed up for this year's camp, Rice said.
©2023 The Free Lance-Star (Fredericksburg, Va.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
