Want to get to grips with fundamental cyber security skills in CyberStart?
Complete your missions as an intern at the Cyber Protection Agency with new updates to Intern base.
After listening to user feedback, we realised that some CyberStart players felt that the challenges in Intern base became too tricky too quickly.
From these insights, the CyberStart team felt that we could improve how players progress through Intern base by allowing for a gentler onboarding experience.
To achieve this, we made significant updates and changes to some Intern base challenges to allow new players to find their feet and gain confidence in their cyber security abilities.
Read on to discover all the new updates to Intern base that can empower you as you begin your cyber security learning journey in CyberStart.
Intern L01 C04 – Lazy Locked Login
Lazy Locked Login is often the first time players are introduced to developer tools in CyberStart, and was where we began to see a drop-off in people completing the Intern base challenges. Even some members of the CyberStart team struggled to solve it!
Players will now encounter more straightforward developer tools built directly into the interface, making this challenge easier to solve and allowing you to use the developer tools through a more accessible format.
See if you can solve this challenge now in Intern base, L01 C04.
Intern L02 C01 – The Rocketeer
We wanted to give players confidence when getting to grips with beginner cyber security concepts like programming and decryption.
To help you gain an improved understanding of these fundamental concepts, we’ve improved the onboarding into Intern base by replacing all the challenges in Level 2.
The first challenge to be removed in Level 2 was “Spinlock”, which we replaced with “The Rocketeer”. In this challenge, you’ll run a JavaScript command to launch a satellite into space.
“The Rocketeer” aims to gently introduce players to skills like JavaScript and coding commands in a fun way that builds their confidence when learning cyber security.
Try this challenge in Intern base, L02 C01.
Intern L02 C02 – First Contact
The next stage in improving players’ experience of Intern base was to replace “Traffic Jam” with “First Contact”.
In “First Contact”, you are tasked to fix an issue with a satellite’s software to investigate a mysterious signal coming from outer space.
This challenge teaches players how to run a command, introducing them to fundamental programming skills in an accessible and beginner-friendly format.
Play this challenge in Intern base, L02 C02.
Intern L02 C03 – Galactic Greetings
Next in line to be replaced in Intern base was “Start-Up Troubles” which we swapped out for the “Galactic Greetings” challenge.
In “Galactic Greetings”, you must decode a mysterious binary signal you’ve encountered in space.
Our goal with the Galactic Greetings challenge is to give players a better experience when learning binary and decryption, especially if it’s their first time encountering these concepts.
Check out this challenge in Intern base, L02 C03.
Intern L02 C04 – Rover Rodeo
The final challenge to be replaced in Intern base Level 2 was “610enC0de’d Password”, with “Rover Rodeo” taking its place.
“Rover Rodeo” lets you manually navigate a remote-controlled rover across the surface of a planet using your browser’s console.
By completing this challenge, players will gain confidence in coding and browser dev tool use; skills which are required in countless well-paid careers and across many of CyberStart’s other challenges!
Check out this challenge in Intern base, L02 C04.
More players are now progressing further through CyberStart
In contrast to the drop-off in players we initially saw in Intern base, our updates have allowed more players to progress to Intern base Level 3 and beyond!
Top tip: If you’re ever struggling in Intern base, head over to the first levels of HQ base which are perfect for beginners. You can always come back to Intern base later with the newfound skills you pick up across CyberStart’s other bases.
Are you an educator?
We hope this update gives your students a better experience when getting to grips with CyberStart’s challenges and beginner cyber security concepts.
If your students already completed any of our replaced or updated challenges in Intern base - don’t worry! They will keep their challenge points, but can still jump back in and try these new challenges for fun.
Try these new Intern base challenges in your class or club to build more of your students’ cyber skills, boost their confidence and help them progress further through CyberStart this year.
Want to explore all the latest updates across the CyberStart platform for 2023? You can read all about them in this blog right now!
