Blog: Cyber Challenge: 10,000 Security Warriors Wanted

Cyber Challenge: 10,000 Security Warriors Wanted
Campus Technology (05/14/10) Schaffhauser, Dian

The goal of the U.S. Cyber Challenge is to recognize and train a cohort of 10,000 cybersecurity experts to help address gaps in government and industry. Program director Karen Evans says the concept behind the initiative is to cultivate participant skills and provide access to training and practice. She envisions the challenge possessing three core elements--community building for participants, "rack and stack" for recognizing skills and interests, and matching up individuals with government agencies offering scholarships and industry offering internships and jobs. An alpha run for the Cyber Challenge is being conducted this summer, where participants in California, New York, and Delaware can test a free online treasure hunt developed by the SANS Institute. Successful participants will be invited to attend a summer camp where they will get a week of training by SANS and university faculty and students. At the week's conclusion, participants will be broken up into teams to play a capture-the-flag competition by finding vulnerabilities in their opponents' systems while protecting their own.

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