(UNDATED) – Time is ticking away for Hoosier high school girls to sign up to compete against their peers in the 2020 Girls Go CyberStart competition, a skills-based competition designed to encourage girls to pursue cyber-based learning and career opportunities. Registration is open through Feb. 14.
Indiana is one of 38 states to participate in the competition hosted by the SANS Institute. In 2019, four teams from Indiana scored among the top 50 high schools nationally, with Noblesville High School just surpassing Walker Career Center in the national rankings.
Girls Go CyberStart centers on a fun and thought-provoking game to inspire young women to test their aptitude in cyber skills. Female students in grades 9-12 can participate for free, either as individuals or as part of a school-based team. As part of the CyberStart challenge, participants will take on the roles of agents in the Cyber Protection Agency, where they will develop forensic and analytical skills and deploy them to sleuth through challenges and tackle various online cybercriminal gangs.
The country faces a shortage in computer science and cyber trained workers, although experts predict these to be some of the highest paying, in-demand jobs for years to come. Since 2010, cyber jobs have increased by more than 75 percent, outpacing the talent pool and resulting in more than 500,000 unfilled cyber positions nationwide. In Indiana, an estimated 4,500 jobs are unfilled, according to the Cyberseek jobs tool.
The Indiana Department of Homeland Security created a quick reference web page with resources including advisor guides and information, downloadable posters and images and more information about the Girls Go CyberStart competition on their website.
Students can register for the competition at the CyberStart website.
