This year's U.S. Cyber Challenge's fall competition drew more than 2,000 high school students from around the country, and five top students walked away with scholarships in the cybersecurity field.
(ISC)2 announced last week that the fall Cyber Foundations competition, an online competition aimed at high school students, resulted in five national winners earning scholarships in amounts ranging from $500 to $2,500.
"In this constantly evolving field, it is essential that we provide the future cybersecurity workforce with the educational and career path tools they need to succeed," said Julie Peeler, director of the (ISC)2 Foundation. "(ISC)2's Information Security Scholarship Program is dedicated to supporting competitions such as this one that ignite a spark of passion in students for the security field and that help to fill the pipeline of future recruits in an industry strapped for qualified, certified professionals."
The (ISC)2 Foundation is aiming to build the next generation of information security professionals, with scholarships for students from high school through the post-graduate level. Thus far, its scholarship efforts have provided more than $300,000 to more than 30 recipients since 2004.
Cyber Foundations is the entry-level competition in a series of contests sponsored by the U.S. Cyber Challenge. The competition has two parts: online tutorials and video education materials that allow students to expand their knowledge, and quizzes that allow students to demonstrate mastery. The program presents and tests students on networking, operating systems and systems administration.
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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