Note: The deadline for CyberStart Game has been extended from April 10 to April 28. Participants can access registration instructions here: Instructions_Setup_Game+Essentials_2-16-2020.
It’s game time — CyberStart Game time, that is! Students across the University are firing up their laptops and competing in CyberStart Game for the cybersecurity championship.
CyberStart is a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and developed by the SysAdmin, Audit, Network and Security (SANS) Institute to identify and train the cybersecurity professionals of the future. The online game offers students the opportunity to learn more about the cybersecurity profession, test their problem-solving skills and learn new technology. CyberStart Game is the second round in a campus competition that could result in the winner earning a job with the Information Security Department’s Security Operations Center (SOC).
Kickoff Party
In February, the CyberStart kickoff party attracted over 80 cybersecurity-curious students who wanted to participate in CyberStart Go. This hour-long, first-round challenge consisted of unscored gameplay. Students of all majors tested their problem-solving skills, allowing them to explore further options in cybersecurity.
Juniors Josh Shub-Seltzer, ‘21, and Dean Stirrat,’21, are roommates who attended the kick-off party because of their shared interest in the field. Stirrat, a computer science major who concentrates in security studies, was surprised when his roommate, a political science major, was able to keep up without a cybersecurity background. Shub-Seltzer found the games to be fun even without previous experience solving tech-oriented problems.
When asked whether he would pursue a career within the field, Shub-Seltzer said, “I have friends who work in cybersecurity and have told me about their projects. A position in cybersecurity is not out of the question, if I’m qualified.”
Beyond the kickoff party, CyberStart Go lasted for two weeks. At the end of the round, interested students had the opportunity to move on to the competitive round, CyberStart Game.
Game On
CyberStart Game offers more advanced challenges and is scored by ITS. The top scorers from the second round will receive access to CyberStart Essentials, which provides a deep dive into cybersecurity technology equivalent to roughly 70 hours of professional training. Additionally, the ITS Information Security Department might interview students who take part in Essentials for a paid student job in the SOC.
CyberStart Game runs from March 10-April 10. As the round progresses, the top scores will be posted here and on the ITS Instagram account. You can email itscomm@syr.edu with any questions not addressed by the FAQ below.
FAQ
What is CyberStart?
CyberStart is a program funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and developed by the SANS Institute to identify and train the cybersecurity professionals of the future.
How does it work?
CyberStart is part game, part training and part competition. Players take the role of a security professional trying to catch various hackers. Players are presented with a set of challenges at varying levels of difficulty.
Challenges have hints and tips to help the player solve them, and players learn as they play. The game is designed for all skills and knowledge levels, including someone who has never considered a field of study or career in technology.
CyberStart is delivered in three phases.
Phases? What are these phases you speak of?
So glad you asked.
Phase I: CyberStart Go
CyberStart Go was a one-hour challenge open to ALL Syracuse University students. Its intent was to give students a feel for the game and to help them discover if they had an interest in continuing to Phase II.
Phase II: CyberStart Game
Students who played CyberStart Go and registered to continue with the program received a license to play CyberStart Game, which features 240 challenges! Solving lower-level challenges unlocks higher-level challenges, and CyberStart Game includes a reference guide to help students learn and hints to help students progress.
CyberStart Game is scored as a competition by ITS to determine who gets invited to Phase III. Phase II will run from March 10–April 10.
Phase III: CyberStart Essentials
CyberStart Essentials is by invitation only to the top scorers of CyberStart Game. Essentials is less of a game and more of a learning environment with modules and labs that cover a broad range of cybersecurity skill sets. It is self-paced and entirely up to the student to progress through the nearly 70 hours of FREE training.
The ITS Information Security Department might interview students who take part in Essentials for a paid student job in our Security Operation Center (SOC).
Wait…a job?
Yes, a part-time student job. While any student is eligible for a position in the SOC (see Handshake for listings), taking part in CyberStart Essentials helps ensure that candidates have the skills we seek.
What do I need to play?
First and foremost, you need to have an interest. You’ll also need an internet connection, a laptop/computer and a web browser. (Note: Smartphones and tablets do not work well with the CyberStart environment.)
I’ve never taken any classes in cybersecurity or information technology. Would I be wasting my time if I tried to play?
Absolutely not. CyberStart Go is designed to help technical AND nontechnical students discover if they have interests and skills that translate to cybersecurity. You only need to invest an hour of your time to see if you really have the interest to continue building your skills with CyberStart Game.
How long do I have to play?
The CyberStart Game competition will run from March 10-April 10. After that, registered players can continue to play until August 31 if they’d like, but we will no longer be tracking progress.
CyberStart Essentials can be played until November 30.