The Captains NJROTC CyberPatriot teams competed in the National youth cyber defense competition last November and December. The NJROTC began competing in this event during the 2017-2018 school year. “At that time, none of us had any idea what we were doing and our first competition was an absolute disaster,” Master Chief Foust said.

The team and staff have improved since then to the point that one of their teams was able to finish second in the state of Virginia. “This is our first year having a team do this,” said Foust. The team will receive a plaque for their efforts in the tournament in the upcoming weeks.

The competition consists of teams having to fix vulnerabilities within the simulating operating system they’re given, called an “image.” Teams are rewarded points for solving these vulnerabilities. Depending on how many points your teams earn compared to other teams, you’ll be placed in either the silver, gold, or platinum bracket. The County teams almost all of the teams made the platinum bracket. 

“The CyberPatriot teams had an impressive competition and continue to improve,” said Foust.