Local High School Students Advance as National Youth Cyber Defense Competition National Finalists Published April 5, 2016 By Lt. Brittany Hardy Public Affairs Officer, Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- A local team of students from the Civil Air Patrol's Colorado Springs Cadet Squadron will be travelling to Baltimore, Maryland, April 10-14 to compete in the CyberPatriot VIII National Finals Competition. CSCS is one of 28 teams out of a pool of more than 3,300 teams who advanced through four rounds of competition to reach the finals. This is the sixth year in a row for CSCS to advance to the national in-person finals! The CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program was established by the Air Force Association and is one the largest cybersecurity competitions targeting young people. "CyberPatriot is truly answering a national call to build a diverse, much-needed cyber workforce of tomorrow," said Diane Miller, director, CyberPatriot Programs, Northrop Grummen. CyberPatriot greatly benefits from the support and technical expertise of its presenting sponsor, the Northrop Grumman Foundation. The CSCS team, winners of one national title, will compete over three days in multiple rounds of defense against aggressive and adapting cyber-attacks. They will look to repeat as national champions and compete for scholarships and internships. Team members are aged 15-18 and represent high schools from across Colorado Springs. Their coach, Maj. Bill Blatchley, also mentors multiple teams across the states in CyberPatriot. CSCS is one of five teams in Colorado advancing to the national finals. Vista Ridge High School from Colorado Springs and three teams from Denver advanced as well. Only California has more teams advancing to the national finals. Participation in CyberPatriot is voluntary and involves training and practices for at least six to ten hours a week, nine months of the year.