The Daily Tell

The nonprofit Air Force Association announced that 200 high schools from 44 states in the U.S., South Korea and Japan will participate in the largest high school cyber defense competition ever staged starting November 7.

Called CyberPatriot II, the war games are a way to promote careers in cyber security, technology and science fields. S. Sanford Schlitt, AFA’s vice chairman of the board for aerospace education, said the competition begins on November 7, 2009, the entire field of 200-plus teams participating in CyberPatriot II will race to solve cyber defense problems.

The final competition in February will test the remaining teams "on identical equipment on a system against an active "Red Team" opponent that will attempt to counter their defense strategies," AFA said.

Right now is a hot time for cyber technicians and IT professionals who have the knowledge and training at the highest level. The government, military, and IT companies have to recruit their cyber security personnel from a small pool of technically proficient workers, which is why these organizations are promoting education and training of young people in cyber security.

The federal government pronounced October as a National Cyber Security Awareness month, with President Obama addressing cyber security in a web video that called on all Americans to protect themselves from cyber threats. Recruiting a qualified cyber workforce to defend the country and its IT infrastructure from cyber attacks is a main concern of the Obama administration’s cyber security effort. To answer this call, nonprofits and corporations are participating in cyber security awareness.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said last week that protecting the internet from online hackers and scams, fraud and identity theft is a major concern for all, because of what the internet promises as a benefit.

"Consumers should stay alert, recognize the potential risks associated with cyber crimes and take some simple precautions to help reduce their chances of falling victim to scams," Genachowski said. The government is providing cyber security information and resources at OnGuardOnline.gov.