CyberPatriot Introduction
CyberPatriot is a national K–12 youth cyber education program in the United States, created by the Air Force Association. Its goal is to guide students toward careers in cybersecurity and other STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) fields. The program's centerpiece is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition, which culminates in an in-person National Finals Competition for top-performing high school and middle school teams.
Competition Rounds
Practice rounds
- Open to all participants
- Very basic images. Similar or a bit less as R1 and R2 in difficulty.
Round 1
- Open to all participants except the Middle School Division.
- Beginner-level virtual machine images.
Round 2
- Open to all divisions.
- Intermediate-level images.
State Round
- All teams compete using intermediate to advanced images.
- Based on performance in Rounds 1 and 2, teams are placed into one of three tiers: Platinum, Gold, and Silver.
- Tiers apply across all divisions: All Service, Open, and Middle School.
Semifinals
- Only the top 25% of each tier (plus wildcard teams) advance.
- Advanced-level images are used.
National Finals
- Top teams from each division qualify.
- Features advanced images and the presence of a Red Team (offensive security team).
FAQ
Where can I find the practice images?
You can find a comprehensive list of practice images in the MHS CyberPatriot Image Spreadsheet.
What can I do to practice for the competition?
Playing CTFs, doing practice images, and doing research are some main ways to get more proficient. There are also similar competitions, such as eCitadel.
How do I open a virtual image?
- Download zip file
- Unzip
- Enter password if any
- Open VMware
- File > Open
- Go inside folder
- Click .vmx file
- Power on
What is the current competition schedule and challenges?
Am I allowed to take virtual image snapshots?
Yes. According to section 3012E, "Using image snapshots or similar capabilities is allowed during the competition... Snapshots or backups may be used to roll back to a previously known good state."
Why am I seeing an Overtime Penalty?
A team’s 4-hour competition window begins the moment they open the first virtual image in VMware. If you open an image before your planned competition time, your time begins. If you re-open the image later, the clock has been running.
What is a multiple instance penalty?
During a competition round, no more than a single copy of the same virtual image may be opened at the same time.
There is an issue with my score. Who should I contact?
Score Correction Requests will only be accepted via the official Score Correction Request Form. The form allows coaches to self-report scoring discrepancies during and immediately after the competition. Do not email the CyberPatriot Program Office unless requested.
When / where are final scores published?
Final scores are published on www.uscyberpatriot.org under Competition > Current Competition > Scores. It takes 7-10 business days after the end of the round for scores to be published.
How do I access official training/round images and the NetAcad course?
Your coach will provide you with these materials. DO NOT ASK OTHERS FOR THESE.