Defense contractors, DHS mine high school security challenge for recruits

CyberPatriot photo

Defense contractors and Homeland Security officials were on the lookout for potential hires at the annual Air Force Association's high school cybersecurity competition, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The competition, called CyberPatriot , and held in Oxon Hill, Md., was created in 2008 to encourage students to pursue security and engineering careers. Students from 1,000 schools fought to defend a network of 11 virtual databases and operating systems in the hope of getting scholarship money, dinner at the White House, and even a job offer.

Northrop Grumman, which sponsored the challenge, has reportedly hired a dozen students who took part last year. The military contractor is now seeking to fill 30 positions, according to the report. Cybersecurity competitions and conferences have been increasingly frequented by federal officials and military contractors, highlighting a shortage of skilled security professionals to support the military's needs. Read the full story here .