"DHS Partners with Girl Scouts of the USA to Launch the 2021 Girl Scout Cyber Awareness Challenge"
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) has launched the 2021 Girl Scout Cyber Awareness Challenge. This new initiative will encourage girls across the U.S. to learn about cybersecurity and raise awareness within their communities, especially surrounding ransomware. The goal of the 2021 Girl Scout Cyber Awareness Challenge is to help diversify and increase the number of skilled cyber professionals in the cybersecurity workforce in order to strengthen our Nation's cybersecurity resilience. The Challenge will provide opportunities to girls in grades 6-12 to learn more about the cybersecurity field, practice key concepts, and demonstrate the skills they learn during the program. Participants will be encouraged to publish an article about ransomware at the end of the Challenge to increase cybersecurity awareness in their communities. Those who complete the Challenge will receive a certificate of achievement as well as an invitation to attend a capstone virtual event hosted by DHS during Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October. This article continues to discuss the development, goals, and structure of the 2021 Girl Scout Cyber Awareness Challenge.