ASHBURN, VA, October 21, 2022 – Katzcy®, a woman-owned small business, has signed a five-year cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to encourage and support a growing community of cybersecurity practitioners through cybersecurity games. The collaboration will be managed by NIST’s National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) as part of its mission to energize, promote, and coordinate a robust community working together to advance an integrated ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.
Over the duration of the cooperative agreement, Katzcy (through their PlayCyber division) will collaborate with NICE to support the US Cyber Games®, an effort to bring together talented cybersecurity athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to build an elite US Cyber Team® for global cybersecurity competition. Katzcy will align athlete recruiting efforts, cybersecurity competitions, and training initiatives to the NICE Workforce Framework for Cybersecurity (NICE Framework) so that the US Cyber Games can demonstrate how a consistent lexicon can be used to help ensure consistency in how cybersecurity work is described and performed.
Now in its second year, the US Cyber Games comprises four primary phases – the Open, Combine, Draft, and Game Season. The US Cyber Open™ is a free event open to anyone interested in cybersecurity games, regardless of age or experience level. Top scoring participants who qualify are invited to the US Cyber Combine™, an intensive mentored-evaluation and training over several weeks. A group of final participants are selected from the Combine and announced at the US Cyber Games Draft Day. From December through the following October, the team will compete in virtual and in person cyber games throughout the world.
The new collaboration kicked off this week at the Season II US Cyber Games Draft Day event at the Department of Commerce headquarters in Washington, D.C. Draft Day provided information about careers in cybersecurity and showcased cybersecurity games through onsite exhibits. The Draft ceremony announced the top athletes of the Season II US Cyber Team. View the recording online. These athletes will train over the next several months as a team and represent the USA at the International Cybersecurity Competition in 2023. Learn more about the US Cyber Games at uscybergames.com.
As a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB), Katzcy is dedicated to growth, innovation, and progress. Through our PlayCyber® business line, Katzcy is helping build a stronger and more diverse community of cybersecurity professionals by delivering exciting cyber games experiences. Our mission is to bring together and inspire the very best cybersecurity athletes and build a stronger and more diverse community by delivering the world’s most exciting cyber games for players, fans, and sponsors. Visit https://www.katzcy.com to learn more.
The US Cyber Games Team is a traveling esports team. Each year, new athletes are considered for selection to the team. US Cyber Games is committed to inform and inspire the broader community on ways to develop tomorrow’s diverse cybersecurity workforce. Our mission is to bring together elite cyber athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to help scout, train, and send a US Cyber Team to the International Cybersecurity Challenge. Visit https://www.uscybergames.com/ for more information.
The National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education, led by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the U.S. Department of Commerce, is a partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. The mission of NICE is to energize, promote, and coordinate a robust community working together to advance an integrated ecosystem of cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development. Visit https://www.nist.gov/itl/applied-cybersecurity/nice/about to learn more.