The Center for Strategic & International Studies, directed by the White House, has partnered with the Department of Defense, the US Air Force, and the SANS Institute, to create the US Cyber Security Challenge (USCC).

The USCC is designed to identify and train America's top young people bound for cyber security careers, and will focus on three areas: digital forensics, network attack, and network defense. Delaware is leading the nation in hosting summer camps to prepare for these new challenges; the University of Delaware and Wilmington University have been chosen as regional challenge locations. Wilmington University has more USCC information which can be found on their website.

The following programs are available under the USCC:

For high school students

Cyber Patriot - National High School Cyber Defense Competition

(1) CyberPatriot, the High School Cyber Defense Competition conducted by the Air Force Association: a competition in computer systems and network defense – where the competitors attempt to analyze the security state of the competition network and then must secure the systems while maintaining services and responding to attacks by a hostile Red Team. This is a preparatory program that encourages students to continue their security training in college and to compete in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

For the top high school students and for college and graduate students

DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge

(2) The DC3 Digital Forensics Challenge conducted by the DoD Cyber Crime Center (DC3): a competition in digital forensics where, in increasingly challenging scenarios, contestants attempt to uncover evidence on digital media, just like you see on all the crime scene investigative shows on TV. Whether it is an intrusion by a nation state, or a child pornography investigation, digital forensics is the key to answering the who, what, where, when, why, and how questions.

NetWars Competition

(3) The Network Attack Competition conducted by the SANS institute: a competition in network vulnerability discovery and exploitation. This program will include substantial ethical and legal instruction. An essential tenet of the emerging US national strategy for cyber security is that offense must inform defense. Perhaps the single most important reason that America’s computers are so easily exploited is that the government and the companies in the critical infrastructure relied for security guidance on individuals who were not intimately familiar with how cyber attacks work.

Further Information

Elayne Starkey is the USCC coordinator for Delaware, and can be reached at elayne.starkey@state.de.us.

Official Statements from the White House and Delaware Senator Tom Carper regarding the USCC.