CyberPatriot

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This briefing will describe an exciting new
initiative by the Air Force Association (AFA) to
inspire todays youth to become the cyber
defenders of tomorrow
CyberPatriot
Concept Demonstration National High School
Cyber Defense Competition Orlando, FL, 26-27
February 2009
The proof of concept in Orlando demonstrated a
viable formula to build a national competition
that will excite high school students, instill
cyber security awareness, and create career
interest. CyberPatriot II will take the concept
nationwide.
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Why is a High School Cyber Defense Competition
Needed?

• Call 2008 the year that cyberspace
  its vulnerability, its defense, and its
  exploitation passed the point of no return as a
  major issue for national security officials.
• Rebecca Grant, Director, Mitchell Institute
• The United States is the most vulnerable
  nation on the face of the Earth to cyber attack
  for a simple reason we are the most dependent.
• Michael McConnell, Director of National
  Intelligence

• The success of many business enterprises will
  depend on the degree to which the available pool
  of workers possesses the right combination of
  science, technology, and engineering skills.
• Bill Gates, Congressional Testimony

The rationale for this initiative is simple
cyber defense is one of our nations most
important national security concerns and the
critical factor in building the defense is not
technology it is talented PEOPLE, educated and
motivated to serve.
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A Convergence of Interests
This environment produced a remarkable
convergence of interests

• The Air Force needs the cyber warriors who can
  secure the domain as the indispensible
  prerequisite for air and space dominance
• The nation, especially American industry, needs
  secure networks to compete and security providers
  reasonably expect an expanding, lucrative market
• The linchpin of future network security is
  education of enough U.S. professionals to meet
  the expanding requirementthe source of that
  educated workforce must be students motivated to
  pursue a career in information assurance and
  computer security
• The Air Force Association Educates the
• public, Advocates for and Supports the
• USAF, the Air Force family and aerospace
• education
• Aerospace is Air, Space, and Cyberspace!

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Founding Partners
Common interests created a team of capable and
committed partners
Center for Infrastructure Assurance Security
(CIAS) Academic perspective Network security
education Collegiate competition Directors AF
relationship (USAFR Colonel) Science
Applications International Corporation
(SAIC) Diverse industrial perspective (customer
supplier) Proven Cyber Defense Trainer
(CyberNEXS) Corporate commitment Air Force
Junior ROTC (AFJROTC)/Civil Air Patrol (CAP) High
School perspective Local groups with national
breadth Accepted by HS administration
Built-in commitment to citizenship/service Air
Force Association (AFA) Nonprofit perspective
Relationships with all of the above Field
organization with national breadth Education
mission national security interest
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What is CyberPatriot?
CyberPatriot is for the students, but also for
our nation
CyberPatriot is a cyber defense competition that
tests the ability of the students to defend a
simulated corporate network from external hostile
attacks. CyberPatriot is more than just a
competition it will help educate and motivate
the next generation of students to become the
cyber defenders the nation needs.

• Three Phases
• Concept Demo. Proves Viable premise - excites
  educates
• National Deployment. To prove Scalability,
  academic - competition integration, management
  scope process
• Institutionalize. Full integration with academia,
  government industry self-sustaining path from
  9th grade to career.

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What is CyberPatriot?
Phase I was a Home Run!

• Phase I, Proof of Concept Demo (26-27 February
  2009)
• Online education/preparation
• Eight 5-person teams (AFJROTC CAP)
• SAICs CyberNEXS Cyber Defense Trainer
• Competed at AFAs Air Warfare Symposium
• Winner to National Collegiate CDC at UTSA, TX

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The Competition Environment
The Blue Team
attempts to ensure
the smooth operation of all competition equipment.
The Red Team
Scorebot
is the scoring engine that awards
points to the team for successfully patching
vulnerable systems and for effectively addressing
attacks on their network.
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The Flow of the Competition

• Thursday
• Morning Teams 1 2 competed
• Afternoon Teams 3 4 competed
• Evening The winning team from
• Thursday was announced
• Friday
• Morning Teams 5 6 competed
• Afternoon Teams 7 8 competed
• Evening The winning team from Friday was
  announced
• Awards Ceremony The overall winning team the
  National Champion was announced

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The Venue
AFAs 25th Annual Air Warfare Symposium
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Distinguished Visitors to CP I

• Visitors to CyberPatriot I Included
• Gen Norton Schwartz, CSAF
• Gen Stephen Lorenz, AETC/CC
• Gen Donald Hoffman, AFMC/CC
• Mr. Charles Beard, SAIC CIO
• Lt Gen Ted Bowlds, ESC/CC
• Maj Gen William Lord, AFCYBER (P)
• Brig Gen Teresa Djuric, Holm Center/CC

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Competitors were engaged All In
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CyberPatriot I ? Day 2 Winner
Team Wilson Civil Air Patrol Florida Composite
Wing
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CyberPatriot I ? Champion
Team Spaatz AFJROTC FL-921 Osceola H.S.
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Feedback from the Competition

• Participants and advisors were asked to provide
  feedback after they finished competing. Some
  highlights (based on a scale of 1 to 5, Strongly
  Disagree to Strongly Agree)
• Advisors (8)
• My team enjoyed the competition 4.75
• We would like to participate again 4.75
• As a result of this competition, my students
  learned more about securing a network 4.75
• Participants (37)
• I enjoyed the competition 4.78
• I would like to participate again 4.78
• As a result of the competition, I learned more
  about securing a network 4.78
• 54 of the students stated that they are more
  likely to attend college as a result of this
  competition

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What is the Future of CyberPatriot?
The Vision for the competition is to grow to the
point that any high school in the nation that
desires to field a team will be able to
participate in the program. This will require a
multi-tiered competition leading to the national
championship event

• Phase II, National Deployment (2009-10 School
  Year)
• National AFJROTC/CAP competition
• Enhanced academics
• Prelim. rounds select regional competitors
• 18-19 Feb 2010 Orlando Finals
• Champion to April 2010 NCCDC
• Phase III, Grow to the Need (2010-11 on)
• Expand to non-JROTC/CAP
• Integrate with NCCDC Institutionalize

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FutureIntegration with the NCCDC

Future CyberPatriots will not simply go to the
NCCDC as a first prize .
Well see a generation of NCCDC winners who went
to college and studied CompSci because they were
CyberPatriots
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CyberPatriot II Structure(dates approximate
except Finals)

• Apr-Jun 09 Publicity and competitor
  identification and unit registration Goal
  50-300 units
• Jun-Aug 09 Instructor/Advisor (Team Coach)
  Preparation Information push, feedback/questions
  through assigned AFA Area Participant Coordinator
  (APC) to community of interest, modest time
  required, student preparation permitted - not
  required. Goal ready to go on school day one.
• Sep-mid Oct 09 Basic academics/competition
  preparation, primary/alternate team members
  selected all can participate. Goal ready for
  Round 1.
• Late Oct Round 1 DVD Image of virtual windows
  network downloaded on any computer, six-hour,
  Saturday exercise to diagnose. Log into the
  scoring host at SAIC. Goal 30 teams graduate
  to medalist flight all others in consolation
  flight competition. Feedback through task
  solution presentation.

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CyberPatriot II Structure(dates approximate
except Finals)

• Mid-Nov 09 Consolation Flight competition
  intervening tailored preparation. DVD six-hour
  exercise similar to round one 1st, 2nd, 3rd
  place awarded. Goal all receive feedback and
  are encouraged to follow medalist competition.
• Early/mid-Dec 09 Medalist Flight competition
  Tailored preparation for more complex virtual
  network image (Windows UNIX). Six-hour exercise
  similar to round one. Goal eight finalists
  identified all receive feedback and are
  encouraged to follow competition.
• Jan 10 Prep. for finals. Goal Finalists at peak
  of their game.
• 18-19 Feb 10 Orlando CyberPatriot II Finals in
  conjunction with AFAs 26th Air Warfare
  Symposium. Goal competitors demonstrate
  learning, capability, and HAVE FUN!
• Apr 10 CyberPatriot II Champions travel to San
  Antonio, TX, for NCCDC and participate as
  White/Red Team members.

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CyberPatriot II Structure(timeline)
May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
CyberPatriot II Finals
Medalist Flight Competition
Finalists (8)
Medalist Flight (30)
Sign-Up CP II (n 50-300)
Instructor/Advisor Prepare
Academics Student Prep.
(22)
Champion to NCCDC
Consolation Flight (n - 30)
1st, 2nd, 3rd Place Awards All follow competition
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CyberPatriot II Structure(considerations)

• Team Coach need not be computer whiz (students
  are already smarter about this stuff). Coach
  must be committed to some additional effort and
  communication.
• Competitors (students) must be enrolled in an
  accredited high school program in grades 9-12.
• No additional computer/network equipment is
  required (some permissions from school SysAdmin
  for Internet connection may be necessary).
• Entire class may prepare and learn, but Coach
  must choose competitors (five maximum).
• No additional cost beyond incidentals for
  personal items for those eight teams that travel
  to the finals (traveling teams will be limited
  to five competitors (students), one Coach, and
  one gender chaperone).

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SIGN UP NOW!!!

• Online registration is now open! Prospective
  Coaches only (JROTC SASI/ASI or CAP COs) should
  sign up now, but no later than 29 May 2009.
  Please provide your contact information,
  including an e-mail and phone number for contact
  throughout the summer.
• There is no obligation in registering. You will
  be asked to make a firm commitment only after you
  have reviewed additional informational materials
  and a more detailed description of participant
  expectations.
• After registering at https//registration.afa.org
  /reg/Reg1.aspx?RegTypecyberpatriot
• you may expect additional information within two
  weeks.

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18-19 February 2010 Orlando, FL
CyberPatriot II
BE THERE!
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