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ANNOUNCING THE

US Women's Cyber Team

Empowering women to showcase their talents, represent the United States on the world stage, and be role models for girls who dream big.

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Gender disparity in cybersecurity presents a global opportunity to collaborate,” states US Cyber Games Commissioner Jessica Gulick. “By commissioning all women's global teams, we can collectively focus on growing this segment of the workforce specifically, thus creating role models and a pipeline of women for cybersecurity careers.”

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CONGRATULATIONS

The following individuals have accepted their selection and are now committed to the US Women's Cyber Team.

Lauren Delwiche (Yale University), Lily Gross (University of North Carolina at Charlotte), Eliza Hall (University of North Georgia), Carolina Hatanpaa (Rice University), Gillian Morris (Dakota State University), Sarah Ogden (Northern Kentucky University), Alexandria Petitt (California State University, Bakersfield), Renée Schmidt (Marymount University), Shiloh Smiles (George Mason University), Elan Smolar Eisenberg (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), and Gwen Vongkasemsiri (Dakota State University).

READ THE ANNOUNCEMENT

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Ken Jenkins

HEAD COACH

Ken Jenkins

Ken brings 24+ years of experience in enterprise cybersecurity and IT solutions and was most recently the Season II, US Cyber Team Head Coach.

Ken has led advanced technical teams that possess decades of experience protecting our Nation’s most sensitive mission networks. Ken is skilled in both offensive and defensive cyberspace operations with a unique understanding of security risks in the cyber domain and how they directly impact business continuity.

Chelsie Cooper

ASSISTANT HEAD COACH

Chelsie Cooper

Chelsie is a two-time Marshall University (Huntington, WV) graduate with degrees specializing in Digital Forensics, Cybersecurity, Criminal Justice, and Leadership Studies. While she was pursuing her master’s degree, she was an Adjunct Faculty member for Marshall’s Cyber Forensics and Security program. Chelsie is currently pursuing a second master’s in Criminology and Sociology from Morehead State University in Kentucky.

She has experience working in both the public and private sectors. Chelsie has worked in various roles throughout her career, from web development and digital forensics to intelligence analysis. Currently, her specialty area of cybersecurity is cyber-threat intelligence (CTI) focusing on open-source intelligence (OSINT) and dark-web research.

SPONSORS

Kunoichi Cyber Games (Special Exhibition Game)

Gender disparity in cybersecurity is a global issue that we, collectively, are turning into an opportunity. Working with teams from Japan, the UK, and Europe, we will host a unique women’s cyber games exhibition, Kunoichi Cyber Games, at the  2024 Code Blue Conference, scheduled for November 14–15 in Tokyo, Japan.

The US Women's Cyber Team will proudly represent the United States at the Kunoichi Cyber Games exhibition. Athletes will not just compete but also network with their international peers. While there, they will interact with attendees to help communicate the value of cybersecurity games in learning and sharpening skills, as well as the importance of cybersecurity careers.

The US Women's Cyber Team began virtual practice in August under the direction of a Head Coach and Assistant Head Coach. The program is an extension of the US Cyber Games and we are actively seeking opportunities to cross-train and scrimmage with other global women's teams.

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National Cyber Strategy Alignment

The US Cyber Games program aligns with the National Cybersecurity strategy focusing on workforce and international cooperation, as well as the NICE Strategic Plan objective to increase understanding of multiple learning pathways that lead to cybersecurity careers.

The US Cyber Games program is supported by NICE, a program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology in the US Department of Commerce, under financial assistance award #70NANB22H102.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process for joining the US Women’s Cyber Team began with their participation in the Season IV, US Cyber Open CTF (June 3-9, 2024). Athletes were then identified (based on scores) and invited to apply to join the team. After careful consideration, 12 individuals (who identify as female) were selected and invited to join the team.

This team of highly skilled women who are passionate about increasing the number of women in cybersecurity will compete in global cybersecurity competitions and serve as important ambassadors, reaching generations of women to come with inspiration, mentorship, and guidance.

Athletes will now have the opportunity to showcase their expertise in various cybersecurity domains, including:

  Workforce skills, such as teamwork, leadership, communication, and more

  Technical skills, such as attack and defense, vulnerability management, patch management, forensics, cloud, and web

Plus demonstrate their ability and willingness to support outreach and mentorship opportunities globally.

 

Eligible athletes are US citizens who identify as female and fall within the 18–28 age bracket.

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