Teams from Padua Academy, Charter School of Wilmington and MOT Charter School receive top scores

DOVER, Del. — Governor John Carney and Chief Information Officer (CIO) James Collins congratulate Delaware’s winners of the Girls Go CyberStart program sponsored by the SANS Institute. From February 10 through May 21, more than 15,600 young high school women representing nearly all U.S. states and territories competed in an online series of challenges that allow students to solve cybersecurity-related puzzles and explore exciting, relevant topics, such as cryptography and digital forensics. Delaware’s top-scoring teams were Cyber Pandas from Padua Academy (Miranda Evans, Molly Shapiro, Annamarie Warnke and Kelsey Mulrooney), Charter School of Wilmington Club from the Charter School of Wilmington (Cathy Chian, Udeerna Tippabhatla, Isabel Snyder and Maya Bordrick), and Mustang Pride from MOT Charter School (Rachel Pfeifer, Jocelyn Bartsch, Divita Taduvayi, Shriya Bagdi). These teams ranked ninth, sixty-third and one hundred and eighty-second nationally. Prizes, provided by the SANS Institute, include:

• 1st prize = $100 per team member and $100 for their school
• 2nd prize = $75 per team member and $100 for their school
• 3rd prize = $50 per team member and $100 for their school

Delaware took part in Girls Go CyberStart for the third year in a row and had 187 girls participate. Twenty-two went on to compete nationally, with four young women from the Cyber Pandas team ranking in the top ten.

“It’s great that the SANS Institute adapted and extended the Girls Go CyberStart competition this year to accommodate the needs of our students during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Governor John Carney. “Congratulations to Delaware’s winning teams and to all the students that participated in this challenge. We look forward to seeing you pursue these cybersecurity talents as we prepare the workforce of tomorrow.”

“Providing opportunities like Girls Go CyberStart, planting seeds early and inspiring our students are absolutely essential to helping them discover and pursue a passion for cybersecurity,” said Chief Information Officer James Collins. “We are so proud of all the students that stepped up to take part in this competition and we encourage each and every one to continue to develop those skills as the importance of cybersecurity will only continue to grow.”

“When I first participated in Girls Go CyberStart as a Freshman, I didn’t know anything about cybersecurity,” said Cyber Pandas team member Annamarie Warnke. “CyberStart gave me a strong foundation, not only in basic cybersecurity and computer science topics such as cryptography and web exploitation, but also in life skills such as problem solving and teamwork. Every year, I get to build on my abilities when I compete in CyberStart; there are challenges for every skill level, and it’s still fun even after I’ve competed for three years. Girls Go CyberStart truly sparked my interest in cybersecurity and gave me the tools I needed to maintain that interest throughout high school.”

“CyberStart gave me the opportunity to explore my interest in cybersecurity,” explained Cyber Pandas teammate Molly Shapiro. “When I started in my freshman year, I had no clue what I was doing. Now, I’m able to hold my own in a national competition. It presents cybersecurity problems in an interesting and engaging way and allows me to develop my skills while working with my friends on an entertaining competition. ”

For more information about cybersecurity and/or GirlsGoCyberStart, please visit https://digiknow.delaware.gov or www.GirlsGoCyberStart.com.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

www.dti.delaware.gov

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS provides cyber security training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community.

https://www.sans.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2019

Media Contact:
Christina Dirksen, Strategic Communications Manager, DTI
(302) 739-9736 w Christina.Dirksen@state.de.us

 

GirlsGoCyberStart offers innovative online cybersecurity program, plus prizes and recognition for Delaware’s young women in grades 9-12

DOVER, Del. — Governor John Carney and Chief Information Officer (CIO) James Collins today announced that Delaware is again partnering with the SANS Institute on an initiative to empower high school girls by providing an opportunity for them to discover if they have an interest and aptitude for a career in cybersecurity. High school girls in grades 9 through 12 are invited to participate in the Girls Go CyberStart challenge in which they will compete for prizes and to win the opportunity for 50 additional students in their school to play, extending the competition. $200,000 in scholarships for high school juniors and seniors who do well in the game has also been made available. In Delaware, at least 10 high school girls will each win $500 scholarships to help them pay for college.

Girls Go CyberStart is a free, innovative, online game of discovery that guides participants through a variety of challenges and puzzles which tests decision-making skills and introduces concepts such as open-source intelligence, cryptography, and web application and more, to spark an interest in the field of cybersecurity.

In 2018, 287 girls represented 113 teams from 26 Delaware high schools that participated in Girls Go CyberStart. The goal for 2019 is to increase those numbers even more.

 

“Girls Go CyberStart is a really fun way for young women to try their hand at cybersecurity and parents like it because it’s free,” said CIO James Collins. “We have to be purposeful about creating opportunities that empower and inspire that untapped potential. We are grateful that the SANS Institute recognizes the importance and value of a diversified workforce and partners with us to achieve that goal.”

“The GirlsGo competition really impacted my view of cybersecurity and has caused me to consider a job in the field,” commented Olivia Lundstrom, a member of Padua’s 2018 Cyber Sister team. “I loved how fun and challenging it was to play, and it taught me a lot about cybersecurity that I would have never known had I not played.”

Students interested in participating do not need any programming or cybersecurity experience; only access to a computer and internet connection. Young women in high school in Delaware who excel in the GirlsGoCyberStart game will have the opportunity to win computers and other prizes from SANS.

“This is a phenomenal opportunity for young women to explore a high-demand career area.  Since no past experience is needed, there are no barriers to keep even more of our high school students from participating,” said Secretary of Education Susan Bunting.

Young women in high school in Delaware will be participating alongside students from across the nation. Registration will begin on February 18 and Girls Go CyberStart play will open on March 20.

When asked why SANS is partnering with Delaware in GirlsGoCyberStart program, SANS Director of Research, Alan Paller said, “Because the nation desperately needs more highly-skilled cyber professionals, and we have evidence that CyberStart improves the quality and preparation of people entering the cybersecurity field.  Women are significantly underrepresented in the technical side of cybersecurity. By opening CyberStart to thousands of girls in high school, and to all college students, we hope to help the nation identify the next generation of talented people who will excel in this critical field.”

Additionally, male and female college students will also be able to play this year in a companion program called Cyber FastTrack, which opens for registration on February 18. Play will being on April 5. Cyber FastTrack allows students who excel in both the CyberStart Game and CyberStart Essentials (an online course that extends the learning of CyberStart Game) to be eligible to win $2.5 million in scholarships for advanced cybersecurity training and to be introduced to employers for internships and jobs in the field.

For more information about cybersecurity, Girls Go CyberStart, or Cyber Fast Track please visit digiknow.dti.delaware.gov, girlsgocyberstart.org, and cyber-fasttrack.org.

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About the Delaware Department of Technology and Information

The Department of Technology and Information (DTI) is the state’s central IT organization, chartered to deliver core services to other state organizations and exercise governance over the technology direction and investments of the state. DTI provides enterprise services that enable other organizations to effectively fulfill their missions.

www.dti.delaware.gov
www.digiknow.dti.delaware.gov

 

About SANS Institute

The SANS Institute was established in 1989 as a cooperative research and education organization. SANS provides cyber security training and certification to professionals at governments and commercial institutions world-wide. Renowned SANS instructors teach over 50 different courses at more than 200 live cyber security training events as well as online. At the heart of SANS are the many security practitioners, representing varied global organizations from corporations to universities, working together to help the entire information security community.
https://www.sans.org