Cadets gain tech experience in CyberPatriot competition
<p>Cadet Staff Sgt. Nathan Helminger, left, is flanked by teammembers Cadet Staff Sgt. William Roltgen, foreground, and Cadet Airman First Class Bailey Broadwater as they work through simulated cybersecurity scenarios on Saturday for a chance to earn a spot at the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. The team, which is made up of five members of the Coeur d’Alene Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol, is Idaho's highest-ranked and top-scoring CyberPatriot team.</p>
<p>From left to right, Cadet Staff Sgt. Nathan Helminger, Cadet Airman First Class Bailey Brodwater, Coach Paul Brand and Cadet Staff Sgt. William Roltgen of the Coeur d’Alene Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol work through simulated cybersecurity scenarios on Saturday at the Lifeway Chapel in Post Falls. The team is competing for a spot at the National Cyber Defense Competition, a contest put on by the Air Force Association's National Youth Cyber Education Program.</p>
POST FALLS — As cybersecurity threats become more prominent, so does the knowledge to guard against them and fight back when they are launched.
Proficiency in cybersecurity is a goal of the Air Force Association's CyberPatriot National Youth Cyber Education Program, at the center of which is the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition.
A team of five cadets from the Coeur d'Alene Composite Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol participated Saturday in the state round of the CyberPatriot competition after scoring in the highest level — platinum — in the first two rounds.
"I didn't think I was going to make it to the platinum tier," said team captain and Cadet Staff Sgt. Nathan Helminger, 17. "I’m happy we’ve gone so far. Since it’s the first year, I’m happy with what we’ve done."
Nathan and his comrades had the highest performance of all teams in the state division and were the only team in Idaho to place in the platinum tier. This is a new team and new venture for the cadets, who range from eighth-graders to high-schoolers.
"I think everybody should know how to use their computer and keep it safe from hackers," Nathan said. "You could argue that it’s not technically important to every person, but you have to have somebody who knows what they're doing to fix something when it's broken."
At the competition, the team spent six hours troubleshooting and problem solving while taking on the roles of Internet technology professionals who were tasked with managing a small company's cyber network. The mock scenario required the cadets to find and fix cybersecurity vulnerabilities, which included using software patches, scanning for viruses and utilizing real-world applications for correcting the programs.
"They’re getting a crash course in a lot of cybersecurity ideas that will help them wherever they go in life," said team coach and CAP Coeur d’Alene Composite Squadron Capt. Paul Brand. "Everything has embedded operating systems these days, and that’s just going to increase."
The team has assembled every Monday since September to prepare for the first two rounds as well as Saturday's challenge.
"It’s like trying to drink from a fire hose, there’s just so much information," Brand said. "That's why we emphasize problem solving."
CAP Cadet Bailey Brodwater, 14, said networking, or understanding how computers communicate, is a difficult part of cybereducation. He said when something is challenging, he and his teammates collaborate to accomplish tasks together.
"It’s pretty fun," he said. "We all work together and help each other if we have any problems."
The team reached the All Service Division Platinum Tier and was the only team in Idaho with the opportunity to move on to the next competition. However, Brand said the cadets did not do as well as in past competitions and it's unlikely they'll advance to the regional competition, but many of the cadets are young enough to return next year to compete again.
"This is partly due to the increased difficulty of the higher tier and more advanced round," Brand said. "They still were the only platinum tier team in competition for Idaho, so they did score highest in the state for that category."
About 70 area All Service Division teams competed in Saturday's competition and the top teams in the nation won all-expense paid trips to Baltimore for the National Finals Competition to earn national recognition and scholarship money.
Even though the Coeur d'Alene Composite Squadron may not advance this year, the cadets now have a firm understanding of what they will be challenged with next time as well as more knowledge of cybersecurity issues. This experience is great training for the next generation, Brand said, as preparation for the job force and recognition of online threats.
"Anybody can do it, and everybody should try to learn this; that’s my opinion on this," Nathan said. "Everybody should try it once so that they can fix their computer if they need to, that way they're not spending all this money so somebody can go on and just type a few words."
Brand said official scores will be released by CyberPatriot headquarters later this week.
Info: www.uscyberpatriot.org