This is a guest post written by Abbie from Missouri who became a Finalist and won a silver badge by participating in CyberStart America.
“This experience has changed my life for the better. I’m certain about working in the cybersecurity field and now dream of a job working in the US Government”.
Abbie shares the cyber security skills she learnt through CyberStart America and how her experience participating has defined her future.
How do you think CyberStart has helped you prepare for future studies or a potential career in cyber?
Before CyberStart, I did not know anything about the Linux OS. Thanks to CyberStart, I now know more than any of my classmates and will be bringing this back to my CyberPatriots team.
I know where things can be hidden and how to conduct forensic recoveries on disk images.
CyberStart actually wanted to challenge participants and I loved it. I surprised myself on the Forensics base. That’s how I figured out what part of cybersecurity I wanted to go into specifically.
I love being challenged beyond my current knowledge so that I can go learn more. I couldn’t get enough of these challenges.
“Before CyberStart, I did not know anything about the Linux OS. Thanks to CyberStart, I now know more than any of my classmates."
Would you recommend CyberStart America to your friends?
Yes. I had such a good learning experience with CyberStart!
Even though I started late, I still made it to 75,000 points and learned so much about the Linux OS, Digital Forensics, Cryptography, Command Line, and Inspecting Webpages.
I don’t think I could have gotten this kind of hands-on experience from any classroom.
Even communicating with others and searching for what things are on Google helped me learn how to utilize new functions I didn’t even know existed! I’m so glad I have another year to do this again!
“Even though I started late, I still made it to 75,000 points and learned so much about the Linux OS, Digital Forensics, Cryptography, Command Line, and Inspecting Webpages. I don’t think I could have gotten this kind of hands-on experience from any classroom.”
What have you enjoyed about CyberStart America?
I enjoyed everything. The thrill of hunting for a flag and finding all different kinds of routes to get to the flag was life-changing!
CyberStart allowed me to think things through on my own and gave me a guide to help me learn different features (thank you, Field Manual!).
It was my job to then apply what I had learned to realistic situations. Knowing that I can use this later was pretty cool.
How would you describe CyberStart America to other students?
You can take all of the classes, watch all the videos, and observe someone else doing the work, but you’ll never get the ability to do it yourself if you never practice it. CyberStart provides the perfect opportunity to practice in a controlled environment.
As it is a high school program, you can test out if cybersecurity is something you’re interested in. And it’s free for the school-year period! When are you ever going to get something that has all of these traits again?!
“You can take all of the classes, watch all the videos, and observe someone else doing the work, but you’ll never get the ability to do it yourself if you never practice it.”
Is there anything you’d like to say to state governors supporting cyber security education programmes?
Please keep supporting! As we move further into a digital world, more cybersecurity experts will be needed. Giving kids and young adults the possibility to explore cybersecurity can make all the difference.
Want to see if you’re eligible for one of CyberStart’s free programmes? Find out here.
Any other comments?
This experience has changed my life for the better. I’m certain about working in the cybersecurity field and now dream of a job working in the US Government. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity.
Want to learn real cyber skills that you won’t learn in the classroom and even discover your future career path? Check out the free programmes below for the chance to access all 200+ CyberStart challenges.
Alternatively, trial 12 free challenges in CyberStart by registering for a free account
