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A Call for Athletes and The U.S. Cyber Games: Cyber Open 2022 Kick Off Event

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Last year, OODA was proud to sponsor the first-ever U.S. Cyber Games.  The inaugural US Cyber Games™ was created through the support of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) program at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). But we are very proud to say the real driving force behind these games is a long-term friend of OODA and network member Jessica Gulick of Katzcy. It is produced by PlayCyber.  The Games brought together elite cyber athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to help scout, train, and recognize a US Cyber Team to represent the United States at the International Cyber Security Challenge.

OODA will be once again sponsoring this premier cybersecurity competition.    The Kick-Off event for Season II of the US Cyber Games is Thursday, June 30, 2022, at 11 AM EST.  Registration for the event is found here.   Further details about the event are found below.

Also, Get involved as a coach, player, or sponsor today and help us build the next generation of #cyberathletes.


OODA Loop Sponsor

Call for Athletes

US Cyber Open – A Free Capture the Flag Challenge

June 30–July 10, 2022

This FREE competition is open to everyone and every skill level is welcome! You don’t need a team to play.

However, athletes aged 18–24 have the opportunity to compete in this 10-day online competition for the chance to be one of the 60 cybersecurity athletes to receive an invitation to the US Cyber Combine Invitational (see below).

Cybersecurity skills are in high demand. If you’re interested in seeing how well you’re prepared to join one of the hottest job areas, then apply to participate in the US Cyber Open. You’ll definitely walk away with a better understanding of how your cybersecurity skills match up and maybe you’ll be invited to participate in the US Cyber Combine or become a member of the US Cyber Team.

All you need to do is submit your application to play and get ready to compete!

APPLICATIONS TO PLAY IN THE US CYBER OPEN CLOSE:  July 4, 2022.

The US Cyber Games in collaboration with the U.S. Cyber Range of Virginia Tech will hold a ten-day-long Jeopardy-style challenge covering a wide variety of games such as cryptography, networking, web applications, reconnaissance, and more. Point values corresponding with challenge difficulty will be accumulated per each area and as a whole.In the evenings, join us for Tech Talks and live conversations with…(more information to come).The goal of the US Cyber Open is to attract all levels of athletes so coaches can easily scout top talent and invite them to the Combine where they will receive training but also be scored in more depth to determine aptitude and team potential.All athletes completing the CTF challenge will receive a digital badge that can be used on social profiles and resumes.Top scorers will win prizes such as the new X-box, Oculus, and more.The Top 60 Applicants will be invited to continue in the US Cyber Combine Invitational. Scores alone won’t confirm an invite to the US Cyber Combine. Your application matters as well.

US Cyber Open Kick-Off Event (Thursday, June 30, 2022 @ 11 AM EST)

Again this year, The Cyber Games “Season” begins with a kick-off event.  Last year’s Summit was held in May and was a virtual event.  This season’s kick-off event takes place on June 30th.

OODA will be once again sponsoring this premier cybersecurity competition.

The Kick-Off event for Season II of the US Cyber Games is Thursday, June 30, 2022 at 11 AM EST.  Registration for the event is found here.

There are then three flagship competitions over the course of the season:

  1. The US Cyber Open Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge will be held from July 1 through July 10, 2022.  According to the Cyber Games website, competitors will compete in a free ten-day Capture the Flag (CTF) competition consisting of virtual cybersecurity challenges, across a variety of cybersecurity domains (reconnaissance, cryptanalysis, operations security, forensics analysis, and malware analysis).” (1)
  2. US Cyber Combine Invitational will be held from August 5 through September 5, 2022, where “a diverse set of selected cybersecurity athletes [60 participants total)  ages 18 to 24 will be invited to participate in a number of virtual learning opportunities, hands-on exercises, and competitions.  During this qualifying phase, athletes will undergo a cybersecurity aptitude assessment, interview with multiple coaches, and perform in an advanced CTF qualifier round.” (1)
  3. US Cyber Games Draft Day:  On October 17, 2022, the Top 35 (two teams) drafted cybersecurity athletes will be invited onto the Season II US Cyber Team to represent the United States at a variety of global scrimmages and the International Cybersecurity Challenge taking place in 2023.

For a general overview of the 2021 US Cyber Games, see What are the US Cyber Games?  For our coverage of Draft Day 2021, including bios of the 2021 US Cyber Team coaching staff and athletes, see First-Ever U.S. Cyber Team Announced to Compete in Athens at the ICC in June 2022.

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About Daniel Pereira

Daniel Pereira is research director at OODA. He is a foresight strategist, creative technologist, and an information communication technology (ICT) and digital media researcher with 20+ years of experience directing public/private partnerships and strategic innovation initiatives.