Transcription
Nevada:Inspiring thenext generationof cybersecurityexpertsA report detailing Nevada’s leadership in finding, motivating,and developing the cyber-capable workforce in the United States.
Dear Governor Sandoval,Your insight and leadership in bringing CyberStart to the students of Nevada is already payingdividends for them in the form of learning and scholarships, and it can lead to future jobgrowth and improved cybersecurity in Nevada. Results of the CyberStart pilot program, ablymanaged by Brian Mitchell, Director of Nevada’s Office of Science, Innovation and Technology,are summarized below. But before you dig into the numbers and see the lists of highperforming Nevada students, please turn to the back cover of this booklet to enjoy personalnotes that participating students wrote specifically for you.Program Highlights: In just two weeks in July, Brian and your communications team was able to sign up 188Nevada students.Nearly 80% of them solved at least one of the assessment challenges and 52% solvedenough to be invited to test their cyber aptitude on the 250 challenges of the fullCyberStart program, which they did during August 2017. At the same time, your fellowgovernors in six, mostly much larger states, signed up a total of nearly 3,300 students.The number one scorer in the country is a student at the University of Nevada at Reno.He and ten other Nevada high school and college students each won scholarships formore advanced education in cybersecurity.As you might guess from the students’ notes, they liked CyberStart:96% said they would recommend the program to a friend91% rated the game either excellent or very good (and this is a tough crowd!)100% are considering further cybersecurity training after the program188students initially registered to see how well they could doon CyberStart Assess, the program’s qualifying exam.14952%Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help as you continue to identify talent andgrow the next generation of cybersecurity experts in Nevada.students got one or more answers correctin CyberStart Assess.9717Sincerely,Alan PallerSANS InstituteDirector of Researchapaller@sans.orgstudents qualified for theCyberStart Game.students reached theelite levels (7 ) in the HQbase of the program.ScholarshipsNevada’s nextcybersecurityprofessionals.12
CyberStart Players in NevadaKey**In the top 100 and awarded a scholarship*Awarded a scholarshipLast NameProgram IntroductionCyberStart is a forward-thinking skills program designed to supply specialist cybersecurityeducation to young people across the United States. Using a suite of online challenges,tools and games it aims to inspire the next generation of cybersecurity professionals whileidentifying the best and most talented young Americans.We are facing a significant shortage of trained and skilled cybersecurity professionals at atime when online technologies continue to evolve, and cybercriminals are becoming moresophisticated. The only way to solve this problem is to introduce, develop and help youngpeople in high school and college pursue a career in this sector.PhasesCyberStart Assess is a set of eight questionsthat test a student’s aptitude and existingknowledge of computer security. Based onidentifiable, measurable key skills and traits,it works to find young people who possessthe innate qualities of an effective securitypractitioner. Questions look for traits suchas problem solving, logical extrapolation andattention to detail, all of which have beenproven to be crucial to succeed in a securitycareer.CyberStart Game is where studentsbecome exposed to specialist cybersecurityeducation. Using a suite of online tools,challenges and games, players attempt tosolve more than 250 challenges, all of whichare realistic examples of tests and threatsfaced by practicing cybersecurity engineersin their day-to-day lives. The CyberStartGame enables students to start studyingsecurity with challenges written by expertswho practice these skills in the real world.Goals Supply specialist cybersecurity education for 16 year olds.Inspire the next generation ofcybersecurity experts.Grow the U.S. cyber capable workforce.Identify the most elite young talent. First NameSchoolAaronsMatthewWestern Nevada CollegeAngresDanielCoral Academy of ScienceBlackSamuelUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasCapiliPaoloAmerican PreparatoryAcademyChapmanJettWestern Governors UniversityDavidsonBlairUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasDionisiAnthonyUniversity of Nevada, RenoDunaiskyAlexaDesert Oasis High SchoolFerraGinoUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasFiodorovasEdgarasUniversity of Nevada, RenoGallowayBrendenWestern Nevada CollegeGeibMatthewUniversity of Nevada, RenoGrantIanUniversity of Nevada, RenoJonesBarryUniversity of Nevada, RenoJorgensenParkerCollege of Southern NevadaKaminskyElizabethCarson High SchoolKnutsonJaredUniversity of Nevada, RenoLeavittBenjaminUniversity of Nevada, RenoLeeStephanieAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyTop 100/Scholarship******
Last NameFirst NameSchoolLiuJeffUniversity of Nevada, RenoLoweKahleenUniversity of Nevada, RenoLowryRobertLucasTop 100/ScholarshipLast NameFirst NameSchoolTaylorRichardUniversity of Nevada, RenoTrainerElishiaAmerican UniversityUniversity of Nevada, RenoWakatsukiAdamWalden UniversityHoustonUniversity of Nevada, RenoWalkerAdamLujanJonathanUniversity of Nevada, RenoAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyMagañaDanielAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyWayXanthosAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyMcCordMarkAcademy of Arts, Careers, andTechnologyWilsonKyleTruckee Meadows iversity of Nevada, Las VegasMorenoCarlosUniversity of Nevada, Las Vegas**WoodburyAlanaUniversity of Nevada, RenoMullerTimUniversity of Nevada, Reno*XuSammiPasinskiAlexanderUniversity of Nevada, Reno*Southwest Career andTechnical AcademyPostonJamieUniversity of Nevada, RenoYoungJonathanUniversity of Nevada, RenoPrasharArushUniversity of Nevada, RenoYuDerekAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyPriceCaseyCollege of Southern NevadaZandbergenWillemUniversity of Nevada, RenoPurneyRichardAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyAndrewUniversity of Nevada, RenoRamosJustinUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasBraedenUniversity of Nevada, RenoReddyAnudeepUniversity of Nevada, RenoBrianUniversity of Nevada, RenoReguanErnestoCollege of Southern NevadaCameronHomeschooledRumjahnHadiUniversity of Nevada, RenoDylanAmerican PreparatoryAcademySternbergRyanEldorado High SchoolFinnickUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasStrattonDerekUniversity of Nevada, RenoIvanWestern Governors UniversityStringerJakeAdvanced TechnologiesAcademyJoshCollege of Southern NevadaTaylorChristopherDevry UniversityKayleeFoothill High School*****Top 100/Scholarship*
Strengths & WeaknessesStudent Feedback on Previous KnowledgeStrengthsA survey sent to everyone who played the CyberStart game asked players for feedback ontheir previous knowledge, what they had learned, and what they enjoyed most about theprogram.Headquarters BaseMoon BaseBinaryLoops25Open-source intelligenceFiles20LinuxSocketsThe results show that moststudents who played theCyberStart Game in Nevada hadnever been exposed to a Capturethe Flag style teaching method.Furthermore, 23% of studentshad never taken any coursesin relevant cybersecuritysubject areas. Knowing this,it is encouraging that 52% ofplayers made it through to theCyberStart Game.Have you previously participated in a Capture the Flag competition?87%1510Weaknesses5Headquarters BaseMoon BaseForensicsStringsWeb applicationDebuggingCryptographyFunctionsWhen looking into the types of challenges students in Nevada completed in CyberStart,we can see where their strengths and weaknesses lie. The above tables show that Nevadastudents were strongest at binary in the Headquarters Base and loops in the Moon Base.There are opportunities to further develop programming skills, such as strings anddebugging, which were weaker in Nevada. The weakest topic in the Headquarters Base wasforensics, however there are already some very developed capabilities that are applicable tosecurity roles. Note that weaker areas do not imply under-achievement, merely that thoseareas provide opportunities to further develop.9%4%0%0This is my firstHave done 1-2 CTFsbeforeHave done 3-5 CTFsbeforeMore than 5 CTFsHave you taken any courses in the following subjects? You mayselect more than one answer.23%None of the above13%RoboticsIT/Computer systems28%Networking13%Digital forensics8%Cybersecurity17%00.20.40.60.8Examples of Majors of CyberStartParticipants: Computer scienceComputer science & engineeringEngineeringNetworkingMechanical engineeringPublic health/hospitality1However, there were playersfrom Nevada who hadexperience in other relevantcybersecurity subject areas - inparticular computer systems.This showed that there is astrong group of students keento build upon their existingknowledge. One of the benefitsof CyberStart is that it engagedwith this group and developedtheir interest in cybersecurity.This in turn is likely to acceleratetheir entry into the professionand fast-track Nevada’s nextgeneration of cybersecurityexperts.It is encouraging to see thatstudents who had no previousexperience were able to engagewith the CyberStart tool andprogress as well as studentsalready interested in the industryand with a basic foundation ofknowledge.
Student Feedback on CyberStartThe response to the tool hasshown that the training andteaching in CyberStart hasengaged the instinctive wayspeople learn and identifiedthose who naturally think likea cybersecurity practitioner.These encouraging resultsreflect the enormous success ofthe program in engaging with avariety of ages, genders and skilllevels.How would you rate your experience of using CyberStart?1456%121035%8649%20ExcellentVery goodGood0%0%FairPoorHow likely is it that you would recommend CyberStart to a friend?Extremley likely74%Quite likely22%Neither likely or unlikely4%Quite unlikely0%Extremley unlikely0%024681012141618Which challenges did you enjoy the most?726%622%517%417%329%9%10LinuxWeb attacksForensicsStudent Feedback on Career ImpactCryptography Binary attacks ProgrammingThe students’ response to thegame has been exciting: 91%of students rated the gameeither “excellent” or “verygood,” and 96% said they wouldrecommend the program to afriend. Not a single player ratedthe game “fair” or “poor” orsaid it was unlikely they wouldrecommend it to a friend.Students in Nevadawere most engagedwith cryptographyand programmingchallenges.Had you considered a career in cybersecurity before the program?35%65%YesNoHas the program made you consider further training in cybersecurity?100%Yes100% of studentswho answered “no” toconsidering a careerin cybersecurity inthe past are nowconsidering furthertraining.NoThe aim of the CyberStartprogram is to grow Nevada’scyber-capable workforce andpromote cybersecurity as anexciting and recognized career.These graphs support ourmission and present a group ofyoung people who are now onthe right path to a cybersecuritycareer.Of the CyberStart participants in Nevada, 65% were already interested and engaged with thetopic of cybersecurity. After working through the program, this number increased to 100%of students considering further training. This is encouraging when looking at the future ofcybersecurity professionals in the state.In addition, 35% of students had never considered a career in cybersecurity before playingthe CyberStart Game. After completing challenges in a variety of cybersecurity disciplines,100% of students are now considering further training in the area. This is an exciting programresult that shows a real step change in reducing the skills gap in Nevada.
“Thank you for sponsoring this program. I truly enjoyed this competition. I give manythanks to the creators as it is apparent they spent many hours creating the website andchallenges. I hope that this type of program becomes an annual event as it targets allskill levels in the topics of cybersecurity and programming. I and many of my peers whoparticipated found the material to be not only educational but also engaging. I would love tosee our state lead the way in cybersecurity education.”Jared Knutson, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, College Sophomore“Thank you so much for sponsoring this program. I think it’s great that you and the goodpeople of the SANS Institute care so much about the state of the web and its security.Thank you also, for providing this opportunity to other young people and myself to learnwhat it means to keep the web safe, and teaching us how to do so through the CyberStartgame. This is truly a great introduction on what cybersecurity really is and why it’s soimportant to stay safe online. I have learned so much through this program, and love how itis setup as an entertaining game that gets the individual involved in the program.”Cameron, Homeschooled, Grade 12“Thank you for giving myself and others the opportunity to learn about cybersecurity. Theability to train oneself in such an important skill set while also having a ton of fun doing itis extremely important. I already had a great interest in cybersecurity before discoveringCyberStart. I’m sure that others who have had little exposure to this field have gained anew interest in cybersecurity and computer science in general. Please keep supportinginitiatives like these.”Alexander Pasinski, University of Nevada, Reno, College Sophomore“I think this program is really great, and is giving me a good idea of what to expect in real lifescenarios of cyber security. I am even considering adding a comptia certification to my listcalled ‘CSA : Cybersecurity Analyst’. This is also showing me what I should be more focusedon because I have been looking at every aspect of cyber security, but have been able to findwhat I need to focus on the most.”Casey Price, College of Southern Nevada, College Sophomore“CyberStart has allowed me to get involved with testing my skills and putting my studiesto the test. I appreciate being able to participate because it gives me a chance to use myskills I have been learning so diligently and put them to the test. The contest makes iteven more exhilarating! Knowing there may be a prize at the end for completing all thechallenges! I really love the program and I would absolutely love to get involved in anyway I can as a volunteer or to help promote this in my local area. Anything I can do to helpget more people passionate about cybersecurity, I’m in!”Jett Chapman, Western Governors University, GraduateContact Information:E-mail: cyberstart@sans.orgWeb: www.sans.org/CyberStartUS
He and ten other Nevada high school and college students each won scholarships for more advanced education in cybersecurity. As you might guess from the students' notes, they liked CyberStart: 96% said they would recommend the program to a friend 91% rated the game either excellent or very good (and this is a tough crowd!)
