Florida State University is defending its title as Cybersecurity Champion as students, faculty and staff compete against 11 other Florida universities in Cyberween, an online competition designed to sharpen cybersecurity skills and promote online safety. 

The annual competition, which brings together 12 Florida universities, runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Friday, Oct. 30. Participants can visit its.fsu.edu/cyberween to enter a virtual haunted house and test their ability to recognize and respond to common cyber threats. 

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FSU claimed the championship last year with nearly 7,000 participants. This year, ITS hopes to reach 10,000 participants to help FSU retain its title. 

“Winning last year was a great accomplishment, but the bigger goal is helping our students, faculty and staff recognize cyber threats before they become victims of them,” said Jonathan Fozard, FSU’s vice president and chief information officer. “Cyberween gives us a fun and approachable way to build those skills across our university community. We had incredible participation last year, and this year we are challenging 10,000 Seminoles to join us.” 

The interactive game takes less than five minutes to complete and challenges players to navigate five cybersecurity scenarios. Participants learn to identify phishing scams, weak passwords, fraudulent login attempts, and other online threats while developing practical habits to protect their accounts and devices. 

The university with the highest participation among eligible students, faculty and staff will earn the title of Cybersecurity Champion. 

FSU participants also have a chance to win prizes. Students who complete the game can enter a drawing for one of two $500 scholarships, while faculty and staff can enter to win two tickets to the FSU vs. N.C. State football game Saturday, Nov. 21. 

To be counted in the competition and entered into the prize drawings, participants must sign in with their FSUID after completing the game. 

Cyberween is part of FSU’s observance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October to help people recognize online threats and practice safer digital habits. 

In addition to the virtual competition, ITS will host a table on Landis Green from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays Oct. 19-30. Students can stop by to learnabout cybersecurity, play games and pick up free candy and giveaways. ITS also will have a presence at Market Wednesday. 

ITS will offer two cybersecurity training sessions: FSU Incident Response Training at 10:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 23, and SPEAR: Seminole Prepared, Emergency and Response Training at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 29. Both sessions will be available online. 

Students, faculty and staff can participate in Cyberween through Oct. 30 at its.fsu.edu/cyberween. For additional cybersecurity resources and information about upcoming training sessions, visit its.fsu.edu/cybersecurity. 

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Updated Oct. 3, 2023.

Florida State University’s Information Technology Services department is kicking off its monthlong challenge to bring awareness and education to cybersecurity threats.   

The Cyber Bowl runs from Oct. 9-20 to engage and prepare students and faculty for potential cyberthreats. Online games and training events will be available throughout the duration of the campaign.   

With this year’s challenge bigger than ever, FSU will be competing against nine other Florida universities, including rivals Florida and Miami. The school with the highest percentage of game entries will be crowned Cyber Security Champion.  

“Last year, we really saw students get into the rivalry with 4,106 students, faculty and staff getting involved to beat UF,” said Bill Hunkapiller, chief information security officer at FSU. “This year, we hope to get even more of the FSU community involved in cybersecurity, as the rivalry just got even bigger.” 

To boost participation, FSU will be giving away two $500 student scholarships and two pairs of tickets to randomly selected participants for the UM vs. FSU football game on Nov. 11. To gain extra entries, participants can sign the Cyber Pledge at the end of the quiz. 

Visit its.fsu.edu/cyberbowl from Oct. 9-20 to participate.

Throughout the month, ITS will be hosting additional training events to help enhance cybersecurity awareness:

Oct. 5 | How to Spot a Phish

Oct. 12 | Internet Survivability for Parents

Oct. 19 | The Continual Journey of Zero Trust

Oct. 26 | FSU Incident Response Plan

Oct. 31 | Technology and FSU Emergency Management

“Cyberthreats are becoming more and more common, especially when it comes to college campuses,” Hunkapiller said. “The only way to stay alert is through education and awareness, which is what this month is all about.”

For more information, visit its.fsu.edu/cybersecurity.

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