PRESS RELEASE

ARLINGTON, Va., May 4, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- From communicating via email and social networking sites to online banking and shopping, so many of our daily activities involve access to the cyber world. The nation's dependency on cyber networks continues to increase and with it the potential for cyber threats. This is why CyberPatriot was created!

CyberPatriot is the nation's largest high school cyber security competition and the ultimate cyber game! Competitors get to control computer networks, learning to defend and protect computer systems from cyber threats and potential hackers. Established by the Air Force Association, this program provides students hands-on learning about technology, emphasizing teamwork and leadership, and exercising critical-thinking skills.

And most importantly, it's fun!

Any student with the interest can join a team and be successful! Whether he/she is a gamer, a techie, an athlete, or an artist, CyberPatriot will help in developing valuable cyber skills for the future.

A CyberPatriot team consists of two to five students and a coach, but neither coaches nor students need any special technical background. CyberPatriot provides the training materials needed to prepare a team for a successful competition.

The early rounds are conducted online from the teams' home location. The competition has a tournament-style tiered structure, so teams are advanced based on scores each round until the top five teams are identified. Those top qualifying teams then receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the CyberPatriot National Championship Competition held in the Washington, DC area, in March