Registration for the CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack national programs is now open.
Cybersecurity is one of the hot, hot, hot areas of study and for employment.
Delaware high school and college students can now apply for a national cybersecurity program, with scholarship money and advanced training up for grabs.
CyberStart America and Cyber FastTrack provide participants with the opportunity to explore their potential cybersecurity talent and assist in gaining problem-solving skills for a career.
The programs are split between high school students from freshman to senior level, and college students.
Any participant has the chance to win scholarship prizes as well as statewide recognition and further training.
“All Delawareans need to understand the potential of cybersecurity both for their professional and personal development,” Gov. John Carney said in announcing the program.. “Whether cybersecurity is a potential career pathway or learning about self-protection against cyber criminals, it’s on all of us to learn more to keep Delaware secure.”
During the previous competition, Delaware had 261 high school student participants with six award winners in CyberStart America and 76 college students with five award winners in Cyber FastTrack.
Both programs offer a series of online challenges that allow participants to act as cyber protection agents to solve cybersecurity-related puzzles and explore related topics such as code-breaking, programming, networking and digital forensics.
At the high school level, the program can be assigned as part of homework, form the basis of an extracurricular club or students can simply try it on their own.
Participating students and their teachers do not need knowledge or experience in information technology or cybersecurity to take part.
“With cyber-attacks happening every day to well-secured, high-profile organizations, the need for this next generation to fill the skills gap in cybersecurity is essential,” said Gregory Lane, Delaware’s chief information officer.
Major breaches not only affect the organizations directly attacked, but typically have far-reaching impacts,” Lane said.
“We must continue to be vigilant, and we need the next generation of cyber defenders to protect against sophisticated bad actors,” he said. “With programs like these, participants can develop the cyber skills that will serve them well in any career field.”
To learn more about CyberStart America or to register, click here.
Raised in Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Jarek earned a B.A. in journalism and a B.A. in political science from Temple University in 2021. After running CNN’s Michael Smerconish’s YouTube channel, Jarek became a reporter for the Bucks County Herald before joining Delaware LIVE News.
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