Domain Spotlight Tuesdays: USCyberChallenge.org

This morning I woke up and received an interesting newsletter email from GCN, the Government Computer News resource.  This is a free trade publication I subscribe to which provides me with the latest government based technology news.  One of the more interesting things I discovered in this newsletter was the fact that the government is actively recruiting a virtual army to train in the area of cyber security.  It even goes on to say that individuals who perform well within the coursework and competitions will be given free college educations, full room and board included.

This is quite enticing and long over due.  In my college days, if a program like this had existed I would of continued down the path to learning as much as I could about network security.  Unfortunately I was born a little early to take advantage of such a program.  Now that I am twenty-nine the main question I am asking is if potential security experts who are college graduates will be given a chance to partake in such a program.  I know a number of experts already trained in the art of Internet security.  To put in bluntly, some of the best experts have not learned there skill sets within a classroom environment.  They have taught themselves by exploring the world of hacking.

The word hacker has a bad stigma to it so the government has labeled these individuals as security warriors / security experts.  The government is spearheading this initiative in the attempt to recruit and train 10,000 intuitive minds to become security warriors.  These individuals would be a new line of defense helping patrol networks all around the United States.  What is really intriguing about all of this is the domain name they are using.  This brings me to today’s Domain Spotlight Tuesdays!  The domain featured today is USCyberChallenge.org, it definitely has a great sound to it.

The domain is a bit long but it gets its point across.  US Cyber Challenge for the win!  It sounds very professional and the impact of such a name can be life changing.  Think about it!  You have a group of young minds who have spent there adolescent years reverse engineering technology.  These same minds spend there days researching hacker magazines like 2600, eagerly awaiting to learn about the latest techniques in hacking.  All of those late night energy drink binges are now paying off.  They are quickly alerted that the government has a new challenge for them, one which allows them to use the art they have fine tuned over the years!

A profession which was looked down upon by government organizations is now being transformed into something real.  So real that 10,000 individuals will be selected to train in this curriculum.  The domain itself is utilized as a recruitment platform, which informs potential candidates on challenges which are occurring all over the United States.  You can embark upon a virtual challenge or join competitors at local college campuses for the chance to prove yourself as a future security expert.  Reverse engineering technology has always been a favorite past-time of mine.  I always felt it was important to know technology based products and services inside out.

Its good to see that the government now shares such a belief with me.  Empowering the youth and embracing there inner hacker will help us advance to the next stage in protecting our country on a virtual landscape.  Two thumbs up to the Obama administration for spearheading such an program.  To learn more about the program for yourself, feel free to visit USCyberChallange.org!