Moorpark, Calif.—More than 160 local middle and high school students took part in this region’s first California Mayors Cyber Cup competition on Feb. 23, at Moorpark College. Students from Ventura High School, on team COU64R5, were awarded third place in the competition. First place went to Coast Union High School students on team Coast 1 in Cambria; while Granada Hills Charter School, team Granada 1 in Granada Hills took second place; and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme’s Nyeland team was one of the top finishers in the middle school category.
The California Mayors Cyber Cup is a statewide cybersecurity contest for middle and high school students. The competition engages students on a real-life cybersecurity threat scenario in which they use technical skills, leading cyber practices and good cyber-hygiene habits to overcome the problem.
“The California Mayors Cyber Cup competitions foster the next generation of cybersecurity professionals by bringing together students with leaders in business, industry and government,” said Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin. “This is a learning opportunity for students and the community.”
The California Mayors Cyber Cup is coordinated by California Cyberhub, an initiative of synED, a Thousand Oaks nonprofit collaboration of public and private education, local and state government and businesses, including the California Community Colleges, California State Universities, GO-Biz, California Department of Technology and Cal-CSIC.
Currently a pilot program, officials are hoping to grow the CMCC in the coming years as a way to improve cybersecurity by engaging the community in learning about the topic; create a workforce pipeline for cybersecurity professionals; showcase the career path, with community colleges and universities as the place to start, particularly for underrepresented populations; and engage public and private sectors in building an ecosystem for better cyber awareness, involving community, education, business and government with activities such as training and student competitions.
For more information on the California Mayors Cyber Cup, visit the California Cyberhub website at http://ca-cyberhub.org.
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