Student Cybersecurity Competition Open For Gwinnett Schools

Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that CyberStart America will help Georiga high school students prepare for the cyber security industry.

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that Georgia high schools, including Gwinnett County, will participate in CyberStart America, an online cybersecurity talent search and competition.

The competition aims to allow students to explore their aptitude for cybersecurity and computer science, with participants able to win scholarships and prizes and recognition for their schools, according to the news release.

"To address the significant shortage of cybersecurity professionals, CyberStart America offers a free, entertaining opportunity to excite high school students about the field," the news release stated.

Registration is open through April 27. As of February, Georgia is second in the nation for registrations with over 4,600 students from more than 200 schools participating, according to the release. It's sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation (NCSF) and the SANS Institute.

A partnership between the University of North Georgia, the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University, Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), and the Georgia Department of Education created "CyberStart America in Georgia" to promote CyberStart within the state and provide $100,000 in cash prizes to Georgia students, teachers, and schools, according to the release.

"As the need for cybersecurity personnel continues to grow for American businesses, our state is uniquely positioned to provide the workforce that will meet this need," said Gov. Kemp in the release.

"CyberStart America will offer our students the opportunity to find their place in a fast-growing cybersecurity industry," he said.

Courtesy Loganville-Grayson Patch