Nysmith School Team Wins CyberPatriot VII Middle School Division at National Competition

Five Nysmith School students are a few thousand dollars richer after their win at the CyberPatriot VII National Finals Competition.

The Nysmith School team became the national champions in the middle school division following the day-long competition on March 13.

The Northrop Grumman Foundation is the presenting sponsor of CyberPatriot, the National Youth Cyber Education program created by the Air Force Association (AFA). Northrop Grumman collectively committed $48,000 to the winning competitors from the high school divisions. First place winners were each awarded $2,000, second place winners $1,500 and third place winners $1,000.

“We’re making cyber education as accessible as possible by providing opportunities for a broad range of students because the best solutions to complex problems are developed by a highly diverse workforce,” Northrop Grumman Director of CyberPatriot programs Diane Miller said. “We are so proud of the students’ accomplishments and are thrilled to be able to assist in helping tomorrow’s cyber defenders further their education goals. We wish them continued success and look forward to their contribution to keeping our global networks safe.”

“CyberPatriot has proven that it’s got what it takes to generate excitement among students for a career in cybersecurity,” Northrop Grumman Foundation President and Global Corporate Responsibility Vice President Sandra Evers-Manly said. “AFA has been a phenomenal partner that’s dedicated themselves to building a program that’s spurring on a whole new generation of cyber pros to address a critical global need. Congratulations to everyone who participated; we challenge AFA to again break its own record and see even more students take-on the challenge in CyberPatriot VIII.”

This year’s CyberPatriot VII National Finals Competition featured 28 high school and middle school teams, representing the top one percent nationwide, who competed to defend virtual networks and mobile devices from a professional aggressor team. The competition drew a record 2,175 teams, a 40 percent increase over last year. There was representation from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada and U.S. Department of Defense Dependent Schools in both Europe and the Pacific.

In its fifth year as presenting sponsor, the Northrop Grumman Foundation and Northrop Grumman Corporation continue to devote time, talent and resources to support this critical STEM initiative. This month, the foundation extended its support through CyberPatriot XI (2019) with a $5.4 million grant to the AFA.

Related: Nysmith School Team Among CyberPatriot Finalists, Scheduled to Compete in Nationals, March 13-15