Michigan is facing drastic shortages of cybersecurity professionals. More than 52 different fields are in need of talented staff in cyber ops, including as threat warning analysts, IT managers, cyber policy planners, cyber defense-incident response handlers, security instructors and more. Beyond people working in these direct cybersecurity roles, virtually every profession dealing in technology is impacted by issues in cybersecurity.
The Governor’s High School Cyber Challenge builds a workforce to meet this demand. At the same time, we prepare key industries to adapt to the evolving challenges in cybersecurity. These goals support economic development and the protection of our businesses and private citizens in Michigan now and into the future.
Kicking Off, Here Are Some NEW DEVELOPMENTS for the 2021 GHSCC:
We are happy to announce the release of Capture the Flag 3.0 for GHSCC! The new version includes an all-new scoring engine! This game engine has been completely overhauled using the latest technology stack and is built with the user experience in mind. Within this version, see the many improvements including:
- UI/UX overhaul: Modernized look and feel across the website
- New Content – GIT 101 Track: Explore Alphaville’s GitHub repository
- Updated Scoreboard
- User Profile Page: Rank, Score, KSA Acquired, and Recent Activity
- Performance upgrades
- Challenge Track Descriptions
- Improved KSA reporting
Why should your students participate? Cybersecurity is a necessity for every organization. There is a widening gap between supply and demand in the profession, and early interest and enrollment in this field can provide a profitable, dynamic professional trajectory for students leaving high school. Interest in cybersecurity isn’t niche anymore, and offering this gamified environment to students builds confidence, camaraderie and knowledge for real-life applicable scenarios.
How the Challenge is Played:
Teams of up to three high school students are invited to participate in a round of challenges designed to test their knowledge of cybersecurity, computer science and information technology. The only requirements are an interest in cybersecurity and a familiarity with computers. All schools in Michigan are invited to participate and the challenge is entirely free.
Round 1:
A week-long round of daily challenges (Mon-Thurs) that focus on networks, programming, operating systems and hacking. Round 1 is a timed, open-style format in which students are encouraged to scour the internet to solve the challenges. The top 10 teams will be selected to advance to Round 2.
Round 2:
The second round is an exercise in gamified learning. During Round 2, the top 10 teams from Round 1 will compete in a virtual “Capture the Flag” exercise designed to test their skills with an intensive, scored series of cybersecurity-focused challenges. Round 2 uses the hands-on practicum environment of Alphaville, our online virtual city.
All Top 10 players will receive prizes, with the Top 3 awarded trophies and additional prizes.
For any additional information, please contact [email protected].