CyberStart is a fun and interactive series of challenges that offer the chance to explore exciting topics such as cryptography, penetration testing and digital forensics.
You should play CyberStart challenge if...
- You like solving puzzles
- You are curious about cybersecurity
- You like winning cool prizes
- You are interested in saving the world
CyberStart Quick Reference Guide
Quick Reference Guide How Do I Participate in GirlsGo CyberStart?
- Create a team of a minimum of 5 girls per team - All members of the team must attend the same school. Each member may play for just one team.
- Get a staff member from your school to be your advisor - Be careful to use correct registration details as your information will be required for competition and prize eligibility.
- Registration opens February 18 and closes March 20. Game play begins March 20. Register your team account at girlsgocyberstart.org and reply to all confirmation emails during the registration period - HURRY to confirm because this round of Girls Go CyberStart is limited to the first 10,000 girls with completed team registrations.
- Play! - Once the competition period opens, your team will need to solve as many of the CyberStart challenges as possible.
Key Stages and Dates
CyberStart Access
You can play Assess from March 20, 2019 to April 12, 2019
This initial assessment invites you to take on a set of fun, interactive challenges that represent realistic scenarios and threats faced by practitioners in the field of cybersecurity.
How do we qualify for CyberStart Game?
To be eligible for selection to Game, Clubs need to have a minimum of 5 girls registered who have completed 6 challenges each. If your Club qualifies for CyberStart Game, your school will be awarded 50 additional Game licenses that can be used by ANY students in the school!
CyberStart Game
Game is open from April 22 to June 28, 2019
Focusing on self-learning, CyberStart Game uses hundreds of online challenges to develop interest in security disciplines, such as Linux, cryptography and programming.
"As the game progresses, students visibly develop the drive to solve that next challenge, and then the next. The motivation to research, collaborate, 'try-fail-try-fail-try and try again' is a skill set that will serve them in whatever career they pursue."
CyberStart Club Advisor
You will take on the role of a security agent, gathering information, cracking codes, finding security flaws and dissecting a cyber criminal's digital trail, using our in-tool resources, working together, and researching techniques to advance to the next challenge.
At least 10 high school juniors and/or seniors in each state who score highly in Game will win $500 scholarships to help them pay for college.
CyberStart Compete
The competition takes place from June 5 to June 7 2019
The top schools in each state will be invited to select up to four girls to participate in CyberStart Compete, an online Capture the Flag competition. Teams will compete against all other schools nationally to win prizes!
The Capture the Flag competition is played in teams of 4 girls.
The Capture the Flag competition is played in teams of 4 girls, with prizes awarded as follows:
- 1st prize = $400 per team member and $250 for their school
- 2nd prize = $300 per team member and $250 for their school
- 3rd prize = $200 per team member and $250 for their school
Top scoring Capture the Flag teams in each state:
- 1st prize = $100 per team member and $100 for their school
- 2nd prize = $75 per team member and $100 for their school
- 3rd prize = $50 per team member and $100 for their school
What Is Cyber FastTrack?
Male and female college students will also be able to play this year in a companion program called Cyber FastTrack. Cyber FastTrack allows students who excel in both the CyberStart Game and CyberStart Essentials (an online course that extends the learning of CyberStart Game) to be eligible to win $2.5 million in scholarships for advanced cybersecurity training and to be introduced to employers for internships and jobs in the field. Players are encouraged to work in teams but scores are kept individually.
How Do I Participate In Cyber FastTrack?
College students can register their interest (pre-register) at cyber-fasttrack.org beginning February 18th. They can then complete the registration and start playing beginning April 5th.
Key Stages and Dates
CyberStart Access
You can play Assess from April 5 to May 10, 2019
This initial tryout level is a set of increasingly difficult challenges representing realistic threat scenarios that will measure your existing knowledge, problem-solving skills, and potential for a career in cybersecurity.
You will learn:
- If you have the aptitude for cybersecurity
- Problem-solving skills
- How to think like a cybersecurity professional
- How to recognize and crack codes
The most successful students participating in Assess are invited to move on to CyberStart Game.
CyberStart Game
Game is open from May 20 to June 28, 2019
Focusing on self-learning, CyberStart Game features over 200 challenges that build on the skills and knowledge learned during Assess.
You will learn:
- Research techniques.
- Security disciplines, such as: Linux, Cryptography, Programming
- How to identify security flaws
- In-depth code cracking
- How to dissect a cyber criminal's digital trail
As you reach the highest levels of Game you will also complete an Aptitude Assessment
The highest-scoring students in CyberStart Game and the Aptitude Assessment are invited to join CyberStart Essentials.
CyberStart Essentials
Essentials is open from July 10 to September 16, 2019
The 50+ modules of CyberStart Essentials provide a foundation of essential knowledge to rapidly accelerate your move into cybersecurity. Building on the skills learned during Game, you will master advanced security topics while working through hands on exercises, quizzes, interactive labs, and exams.
You will learn:
- Theoretical concepts to expand your knowledge
- The core technologies of applied computer science
- Networking
- Programming
- Computer architecture
- Operating systems
- How technology can be exploited
- Advanced security topics and concepts, including exploitation and penetration testing tools
Press Releases
- Delaware Launches GirlsGo CyberStart Challenge Monday, February 18, 2019
