CHARLESTON, WV – The SANS Institute announced recently that 16 West Virginia college students are one step closer to national recognition and a share of $2.5 million in scholarship money.
Earlier this spring, the SANS Institute kicked off Cyber FastTrack, a new program for college students which mirrors its Girls Go CyberStart high school program. With the state’s help, West Virginia college students were encouraged to participate in the program – which identifies individuals who excel in cybersecurity and inspires them to consider a future in the field.
In the first phase of the program (the Assess Stage), 94 West Virginia college students participated, including 26 women. Of those 94 participants, 16 moved on to become quarterfinalists for the second stage of the program. In other words, more than 5% of West Virginia’s participating students solved the most difficult challenges, putting them in the “Highly Adept” category of participants. One student achieved a perfect score in the Assess Stage.
“In addition to the 5% moving into the next round, 33% of West Virginia participants went beyond what the SANS Institute considers ‘puzzle fun’ and solved challenges that required the application of cyber-specific techniques and concepts,” said Josh Spence, chief technology officer for the state. “We have many promising students here in West Virginia, and this just goes to show how much promise they have and the importance they place on cybersecurity.”
Over the next month, students will battle for a place in the semifinals and a chance for an all-expenses paid spot in the SANS Honors Academy for advanced cybersecurity training and certifications. They’ll also be introduced to top employers, including Vanguard, Fannie Mae, CISCO, and Idaho National Laboratory, while also competing for internship opportunities.The participants moving on to the quarterfinals from each college or university include:
• Four students from West Virginia University Parkersburg
• Three students from American Public University System
• Three students from Blue Ridge Community and Technical College
• Two students from Marshall University
• One student from West Virginia State University
• One student from Shepherd University
• One student from West Liberty University
• One student from West Virginia Wesleyan College
For more information on this program, visit www.cyber-fasttrack.org.
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Cyber FastTrack is a free online cybersecurity program for college students and graduates. Designed by world leaders in cybersecurity and backed by governors nationwide, the Cyber FastTrack is a program like no other. Through online challenges, quizzes, exams, and tutorials, students learn disciplines such as forensics, intrusion detection, security operations, system and network penetration testing, and application penetration testing. The program kicked off on April 5, 2019 and will be completed by mid-September.