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Cybersecurity Competitions & Games

Cybersecurity competitions and games are a fun and interactive way to allow students and prospective/current cybersecurity professionals to showcase and sharpen their skillsets and capabilities. These hands-on activities and simulations provide meaningful educational experiences outside of the classroom. Learn more about the cybersecurity competitions and games CISA helps sponsor and ways to get involved below.

  • CyberForce® Competition

    Who Can Participate: College and university students 

    Description: The Department of Energy’s CyberForce® Competition provides students a hands-on approach to balance security with usability to protect critical infrastructure. CyberForce® advances hands-on cyber education to college students and professionals, increases awareness of the connection between critical infrastructure and cybersecurity, and improves basic understanding of cybersecurity within a real-world scenario.

  • CyberPatriot

    Who Can Participate: K-12 students 

    Description: The Air Force Academy’s (AFA) CyberPatriot Programs are designed to help students learn more about career opportunities in cybersecurity as well as other science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. With competitions, cyber camps, education initiatives and more, CyberPatriot(link is external) truly has something for everyone.

  • GenCyber

    Who Can Participate: K-12 students and teachers 

    Description: Through the Department of Defense Cyber Exchange, GenCyber provides cybersecurity experiences for students and teachers at the secondary (K-12) level to help increase awareness of college and career pathway opportunities. GenCyber camps and programs are available across the country at no-cost for students and teachers interested in participating.

  • National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

    Who Can Participate: College and university students 

    Description: The National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC)(link is external) is a team competition designed for students to perform administrative and protective duties and manage challenges for an existing network. Teams have identical hardware and software and are scored based on their ability to successfully detect and respond to threats.

  • National Cyber Cup

    Who Can Participate: 4th-12th grade students 

    Description: Through the Cybersecurity Education and Training Assistance Program grant, CYBER.ORG hosts the annual National Cyber Cup, which is a capture-the-flag competition for students that focuses on various cybersecurity themes, situations, and challenges. Explore practice challenges from year’s past and be sure to sign up for upcoming National Cyber Cup competitions(link is external).

  • President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition

    Who Can Participate: Federal workforce 

    Description: CISA hosts the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition (PCCC) to identify, recognize, and reward the best cyber talent across the federal workforce. Participants are challenged to outthink and outwit their competitors in a series of tests that are based on real-world situations to expand cyber skills.

  • Social Engineering Competitions

    Who Can Participate: High school, undergraduate, and graduate students 

    Description: CISA also helps sponsor Temple University’s Summer Social Engineering Competition (SEC)(link is external), which offers students a unique opportunity to learn about social engineering through hands-on and engaging competitions. This year’s competition theme is Tax Scams and events will take place virtually on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The events are open to high school, undergraduate, and graduate students in teams of two to four members. 

  • Try Cyber Micro Challenges

    Who Can Participate: Anyone 

    Description: Sponsored by CISA, Try Cyber(link is external) is a web application that allows users to participate in 15-minute micro-challenges to gain hands-on experience with core workforce tasks related to NICE Framework Work Roles.

  • US Cyber Challenge

    Who Can Participate: U.S. Citizens 

    Description: The US Cyber Challenge (USCC) is a program previously supported by the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate through a contract with the Center for Internet Security. USCC’s goal is to identify, attract, train, recruit, and place the next generation of cybersecurity professionals into the workforce. With cyber quests, capture-the-flag competitions, and cybersecurity camps, participants can demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of information security realms.

  • US Cyber Games®

    Who Can Participate: Invited cyber athletes, ages 18-24 

    Description: The US Cyber Games®(link is external) was founded by Katzcy in cooperation with the NICE program at the National Institute for Standards and Technology (NIST). CISA became a founding sponsor of the first ever US Cyber Team in 2021. Selection for the US Cyber Team is highly competitive, as cyber-athletes go through an experience akin to a football combine.

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