Mississippi students in 9-12th grade are encouraged to explore their aptitude for cybersecurity and computer science by participating in the free CyberStart America talent search and competition.
CyberStart America is sponsored by the National Cyber Scholarship Foundation and the SANS
Institute. The program consists of a series of online challenges that allow students to act as cyber
protection agents, solve cybersecurity-related puzzles, and explore topics such as code-breaking,
programming, networking, and digital forensics. Participation in the program is free for schools
and students. Mississippi students in grades 9 through 12 are encouraged to explore their aptitude
for cybersecurity and computer science by participating in the program. The National Cyber
Scholarship Foundation anticipates awarding approximately $2 million in scholarships for use at
any accredited college to 600 high-scoring students across the nation who participate in the
competition.
For additional information on CyberStart America, please visit www.cyberstartamerica.org.
Registration will be open through April 29, 2022. Students will be informed if they qualify for
the CyberStart National Scholarship Challenge Round (“Nationals”) when they have achieved
sufficient progress but will be allowed to continue playing to build skills to be used at Nationals.
To see the types of challenges that students will face in the games, please
visit https://go.cyberstart.com.
Governor Tate Reeves announced the state’s participation in CyberStart America today.
“There has never been a greater need for cybersecurity experts than today,” said Governor Tate
Reeves. “The CyberStart America Program provides the hands-on experience Mississippi
students need to enter this highly specialized field, and I encourage students to participate in this
exciting competition.”
“As technology continues to advance, Mississippi will need additional cybersecurity
professionals to protect citizens’ personal information and financial data,” said Commissioner
Sean Tindell. “It is our hope that the CyberStart America program will allow more students to
discover their interest in cybersecurity, ultimately diminishing the national skill shortage in this
critical field.”
