OTTAWA, ON. May 13, 2024—Olympians Poseidon of Old Scona Academic in Edmonton, AB, clinched the top spot in this year’s ICTC CyberTitan National Competition Finals.
Sudo rm –rf/ of Pembina Trails Collegiate in Winnipeg, MB, placed second, followed by Synaptic Cerebellum of Sisler High School in Winnipeg, MB, in third place. CyberDragons of Nashwaaksis Middle School in Fredericton, NB, won first place in the middle school division.
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) hosted the CyberTitan VII National Competition on May 8–9.
The event marked the final in a series of national and international cybersecurity skills competitions for youth aged 11–18 to determine Canada’s top high school and middle school cybersecurity teams.
This year’s competition involved student teams racing to resolve a simulated cybersecurity challenge at a fictional airport as quickly as possible.
This award follows six months of intense school-year competitions between 196 Canadian teams. The national finals brought together the top four teams from Western Canada, the top five from Eastern Canada, an all-girls team from Western Canada, and the three top middle school teams.
At the event, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada announced the launch of its K-12 Cyber Grant Program to help public schools across Canada implement cloud-based cybersecurity solutions. AWS Canada is investing $5 million to support school boards to improve cybersecurity and advance ransomware protection.
ICTC’s CyberTitan Sponsoring and In-Kind Partners
The 2024 CyberTitan National Finals Competition is made possible with the support of:
- Communications Security Establishment
- Quantum Algorithms Institute
- KPMG
- Cyber Security Canada
- Security Architecture
- Arista Technologies LTD
- Inspire Tech
- Field Effect
- University of Waterloo
- University of New Brunswick
- The Centre of Excellence for Digital Innovation (for New Brunswick Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
- Mastercard Canada
- Canadian Cybersecurity Network
- Computers for Schools
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) Canada
“It has been so much fun competing in CyberTitan this year. Thanks so much to our coach, Mr. Gautreau, our mentor, Griffin, and all the organizers of CyberTitan. We’ve learned so much, not just about cybersecurity but also about teamwork, perseverance, and the power of dedication. Each challenge has been a lesson, each setback an opportunity to grow stronger. Until next year, CyberTitans!” — CyberDragons of Nashwaaksis Middle School in Fredericton, NB
“Our sincere congratulations to team Olympians Poseidon for clinching the Championship! This year was a particularly tight race. We are immensely proud of the CyberTitan program and all the critical support from our sponsors, partners, parents, coaches, and teams! We hope these students continue into STEM careers. I already feel safer knowing some of them will keep Canadians cyber-safe in the future,” said ICTC's National Director of CyberTitan, Sheena Bolton.
Registration for the 2024/2025 CyberTitan VIII school year is already underway!
For more information, please visit cybertitan.ca. Teams that register before July 1, 2023, will receive a 20% discount. Registration continues until October 5, 2024. Team member finalization and payments aren’t due until November 15. Register Today!
About ICTC’s CyberTitan Competition
CyberTitan was launched by ICTC in 2017 as Canada’s National Youth Cyber Education Program, in affiliation with the (US) Air Force Association’s CyberPatriot Program.
Now in its seventh year, CyberTitan is one of Canada’s largest cyber defence competitions. It is an exciting opportunity for middle and secondary school students to learn critical digital skills.
Based on real-world scenarios, the CyberTitan competition emulates cybersecurity threats that Canadian businesses face each year. Participating youth from across Canada reinforce their problem-solving, creative, communication, and collaborative skills. Ultimately, students are equipped with critical skills sought by today’s employers, helping them pursue post-secondary education in STEM programs. The program also addresses the underrepresentation of women in the cybersecurity industry. Over the past seven years, 5,000 students, including 109 all-girls teams, have honed their skills in the competition.
In addition to the competition, ICTC provides youth with a Cybersecurity Fundamentals Course that details the history of the internet and provides students with the skills to recognize online threats, take steps to reduce harm and, most importantly, learn which professions in cybersecurity may await them. Field Effect’s Cyber Range platform also offers 15 cybersecurity technical hands-on courses that teach students technical skills in Windows and Linus file management, steganography, active defence, and firewalls.
For four years, Field Effect has been the competition’s host platform provider, scenario designer, and game-day facilitator. With the generous support of the Communications Security Establishment (CSE), CyberTitan continues to thrive year after year, pushing students to new heights of cybersecurity excellence.
About ICTC
The Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) is a neutral, not-for-profit national centre of expertise to strengthen Canada’s digital advantage in the global economy. For over 30 years, and with a team of 110 experts, ICTC has delivered forward-looking research, practical policy advice, and capacity-building solutions for individuals and businesses. The organization’s goal is to ensure that technology is utilized to drive economic growth and innovation and that Canada’s workforce remains competitive on a global scale.
Media
To arrange an interview with ICTC about CyberTitan or a high school team representative, please get in touch with Paul Stastny at 613-237-8551 ext. 823 or by emailing @email.
CyberTitan VII Final Standings:
- Olympians Poseidon – Old Scona Academic – Edmonton, AB
- Sudo rm -rf / – Pembina Trails Collegiate – Winnipeg, MB
- Synaptic Cerebellum – Sisler High School – Winnipeg, MB
- Lasagna – William Lyon Mackenzie CI – Toronto, ON
- FNASA - William Lyon Mackenzie CI – Toronto, ON
- STEAM Academy - Six Nations Polytechnic STEAM Academy – Brantford, ON
- CyberDragons – Nashwaaksis Middle School – Fredericton, NB
- SATEC DEFENDERS – SATEC@W.A.Porter CI – Toronto, ON
- Team Apollo – Old Scona Academic – Edmonton, AB
- Firewall Fighters – Nashwaaksis Middle School – Fredericton, NB
- CyberGuardians – Guardian Angels Catholic School – Stittsville, ON
- Space Beans – Centre Wellington DHS – Fergus, ON
- Team Zeus – Old Scona Academic – Edmonton, AB
