The Academy’s CyberLancer team competed against more than 1,500 teams across the nation in the first round of the CyberPatriot competition on Nov. 15.

The members of the team work in class and spend two hours after school every Friday with their mentors. Through this process they are learning to protect a variety of Windows and Linux operating systems from viruses, tighten password security, remove unauthorized users and files, close entry points that can allow hackers access, and secure ports and services to protect from hackers and other types of exploitation.

Senior Katie Lee said, “I’ve learned a lot, such as how to keep my own computer safe, and I am also more aware of the cyber threats that are out there. The competition is really hard and our team is constantly preparing for it. We are doing our best and we are having a great time.” The CyberLancers have done the first phase. After the second phase, team members will find out if they made the semi-finals or are invited to the round for state teams. To make it to the semi-finals, the team has to be in the top 36. Each round of the competition allows only five students to compete. In this round, participants were seniors Sara Tashima, Katie Lee, Christine Nguyen and Innika Pang and sophomore Wei Yi Huang.

Sophomore Wei Yi Huang said, “I really enjoy this competition. It is fun and exciting, but also a challenge to protect a computer from viruses and hackers.”

Deborah Kula, the coach of the team, said, “They are working very hard. From this, I hope to see that they learn the importance of security with computers and smartphones. I also hope they see potential beyond school, and that they see it is an occupation that’s growing quickly with opportunities. It is important that they keep their own computers safe, but I hope that they are able to share their knowledge with others.”The next phase of the competition will be held on Dec. 7.