Colorado's top cybersecurity official urged students to secure a spot in the National Cyber Scholarship Competition by completing at least 20 percent of CyberStart America in a news release this past week.
"We've already nearly doubled the number who registered from last year, but we want to do all we can to connect students with scholarship opportunities given the immense potential for security careers right here in Colorado," Colorado's Chief Information Security Officer Deborah Blyth said in the release.
CyberStart America, which is available to high school students, can be accessed at CyberStartAmerica.org. The game presents a series of challenges to students as cyber protection agents and covers topics including code breaking, programming, networking and digital forensics. Students are offered opportunities to win scholarships and additional educational resources for themselves, as well as prizes for their schools, according to a news release from the state.
By completing 20 percent of the game, students can qualify for the National Cyber Scholarship Competition, which takes place April 5-6. The competition offers students the opportunity to qualify for $2,500 scholarships to the college of their choice, as well as online cybersecurity training worth more than $3,000, according to the state. The National Cyber Scholarship program will award scholarships to at least 600 U.S. high school students. Participants will be informed if they qualify for the CyberStart National Scholarship Challenge Round as soon as they have achieved sufficient progress on CyberStart America. Beyond the March 8 deadline, students can continue to play the game until April 4.
CyberStart is an ideal introduction to the cybersecurity field, providing transferable and technical skills without the need for previous experience or knowledge, the release states. Colorado has become a force in the industry, with a 129-percent increase in cybersecurity employment over the past five years, the largest jump in the country, according to Comparitech.
"I'm ecstatic to see the enthusiasm we've had so far, and I hope we can finish strong by providing this engaging pathway for students," Blyth said.
(c) 2021 the Greeley Tribune (Greeley, Colo.) Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
