The National Cyber League concluded the Spring 2024 NCL Competition with participation from all over the United States, representing all 50 states. Each season the NCL publishes its Cyber Power Rankings of the top 100 schools within the competition. These rankings measure students' abilities to work individually and as a team in performing a wide range of cybersecurity tasks.

CHEVY CHASE, Md., May 9, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The National Cyber League concluded the Spring 2024 NCL Competition with participation from 8,017 students and 737 high schools, colleges, and universities from all over the United States, representing all 50 states.

The NCL Competition, powered by Cyber Skyline, is a biannual event that enables students to prepare and test themselves against practical cybersecurity challenges that they will likely face in the workforce, such as identifying hackers from forensic data, pentesting and auditing vulnerable websites, recovering from ransomware attacks, and additional cyber skill sets.

The Cyber Power Rankings is a published list of the top 100 schools within the NCL, representing the hard work and skills of collegiate and high school students. These rankings measure students' abilities to work individually and as a team in performing a wide range of cybersecurity tasks.

Highlights from the Cyber Power Rankings include:

• Top three schools from the Standard Bracket, from first to third, are the United States Military Academy, California State University - Chico, and Colorado State University - Pueblo
• First place school from the Experienced Bracket is the SANS Technology Institute.
• First place high school is Alliance Academy for Innovation.

View the entire Cyber Power Rankings list here: cyberskyline.com/data/power-ranking/spring-2024-national

Students that participate in the NCL receive valuable performance data through individualized Scouting Reports, which aligns their experience to industry certifications and government standards. With these reports, they are able to showcase tangible evidence of their technical skills to employers.

"NCL is one of the most important venues to reinforce classroom learning," said NCL Coach and Cybersecurity Instructor at the United States Military Academy, Max Love. "In a traditional classroom setting with slides, lectures, and practical exercises, students can lose focus on the spark of curiosity that drove them to learn more about this field. In the heat of competition, they can find that spark again and suddenly the lessons of the classroom carry a whole new meaning when it helps them overcome the challenge right in front of them."

NCL Commissioner Dr. David Zeichick is an NCL coach and professor at the second-place school in the Standard Bracket, University of California, Chico.

"The exceptional proficiency demonstrated by these schools in cybersecurity is not only commendable but truly inspiring. Their dedication and achievements set a benchmark of excellence," said Zeichick. "Please join us in applauding their outstanding contributions to the field of cybersecurity. Congratulations to all the schools that have made it to the rankings!"

Sponsorship from companies like CrowdStrike are essential for NCL to provide scholarships, mentorship programs, and career building events to its students.

"Partnering with NCL has been instrumental in helping us support students from all backgrounds and experiences to feel empowered to pursue exciting career opportunities in cybersecurity. Collaborating with NCL is a great way to enter your cybersecurity journey," said CrowdStrike Director of Global University Recruiting, Monica Ipong.

Registration for the Fall 2024 NCL Competition is open from Aug. 19 to Oct. 11. The cost to participate is $35, with late registration from Oct. 12 to 15 and a cost increase to $45.

About the National Cyber League

Established in 2011 by an alliance of public agencies dedicated to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, the National Cyber League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization aiming to help students develop, practice and validate their cybersecurity knowledge and skills. To learn more, visit nationalcyberleague.org.

About Cyber Skyline

Founded in 2014, Cyber Skyline is a leading cloud-based cybersecurity skills evaluation platform helping students and professionals track their skills growth and helping businesses find, identify and cultivate talent. Cyber Skyline operates the NCL Competition with the support of the National Cyber League. To learn more, visit cyberskyline.com.

Media Contact

Emily Kalandranis, National Cyber League, 1 240-720-7870, ekalandranis@cyberskyline.com, https://nationalcyberleague.org/

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SOURCE National Cyber League