CyberStart @ CPP

CyberStart is a fun, online game that is geared toward students to increase security awareness and education.  It requires NO  prior technical knowledge and helps players prove that they have the essential qualities to be successful in a cybersecurity role. 

Along with the game, there is an associated online course that teaches core IT fundamentals and with associated security concepts.

Cal Poly Pomona is participating as part of a national CyberStart pilot program with 10 universities.  The pilot began in early January with a workshop to implement the CyberStart program.  Each university has a cyber faculty member and information security officer participate. Dr. Abdelfattah Amamra from CPP's Computer Science department, and Dr. Carol Gonzales, CPP's Chief Information Security Officer, both are representing Cal Poly Pomona.  

More about CyberStart

CyberStart is sponsored by the SANS Institute and National Science Foundation (NSF) to promote cyber-related education and careers. The CyberStart program has the potential to onboard many thousands of future cybersecurity professionals and fill in knowledge gaps for thousands of existing professionals. The program can potentially be used as a gateway to recruit students to other Cyber programs, such as Scholarship for Service (SFS) by identifying students with a talent for cyber security. 

The CyberStart initiative was started by Alan Paller at the SANS Institute. CyberStart "offers a suite of challenges, tools, and games designed to introduce people to the field of cyber security."  At CPP, the Division of Information Technology and the Department of Computer Science are co-sponsoring CyberStart@CPP events.    See https://www.sans.org/CyberStartUS for more details on the system.