US Cyber Challenge offers online competitions in information security

The US Cyber Challenge is back with another exciting Cyber Quests competition. Cyber Quests are a free and fun but challenging series of online competitions allowing participants to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of information security realms. Veterans can test their skills against others throughout the nation.

Free registration is open for the competition through Sunday, March 12 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Click here to register. Anyone can register for and compete in the US Cyber Challenge (USCC) Cyber Quests competition.

Each quest features an artifact for analysis, along with a series of quiz questions. Some quests focus on a potentially vulnerable sample webserver as the artifact, challenging participants to identify its flaws using vulnerability analysis skills. Other quests are focused around forensic analysis, packet capture analysis and more. The quests have varying levels of difficulty and complexity, with some quests geared toward beginners. Other quests include more intermediate and ultimately advanced material.

Rankings will be determined based on who achieves the highest score in the shortest amount of time. In the event of a tie score, the shortest time is the winner. Your highest score among your three attempts will be counted as your final score. The time is calculated based on when you first open the quiz and when you submit your final answers. The timer does not stop if you leave and come back. For example, if you start the quiz at 2 p.m., work on it for an hour, then come back the next day at 1 p.m. and submit your final answers at 1:05 p.m., your time would be 23:05:00.

Any user found to have registered for more than one account, or users found to have shared answers, will be disqualified and ineligible for any awards, prizes, scholarships or other opportunities presented in the Cyber Quests competition.

Top scores in the competition qualify participants to be invited to one of the regional USCC Virtual Cyber Camps. Attendees to the camps receive SysAdmin, Network, and Security instructor-led training, participate in job fairs, interact with industry leaders and compete in a highly competitive capture-the-flag (CTF), an exercise in computer security in which flags are hidden in purposefully vulnerable programs or websites.

The USCC Cyber Camps provide technical and leadership training to bridge the gap between technologists and program managers. Winning teams advance to the national championships in the fall. Winners are also announced at an event in Washington, D.C. in the fall.

These are the dates for the virtual camps:

• East Coast: June 5-9, 2023
• West Coast: July 17-21, 2023

Veterans are encouraged to participate in the US Cyber Challenge since doing so will give them a chance to receive invitations to the camps and get $10,000 worth of training for only $185.

So jump on the Cyber Quests competition excitement! Please spread the word. If you have any questions, visit the FAQ page at US Cyber Challenge or feel free to follow up with Rudy Pamintuan directly at rudy@uscyberchallenge.org. Thank you!