Cybersecurity is a hands-on subject that is difficult to bring to life. Go beyond the classroom with CyberStart Canada.

This free program teaches cybersecurity to high school students who self-identify as girls, women and non-binary through an immersive training platform, perfect for all abilities.

Talya

"If you told me two years ago that I would be interested in cybersecurity, I would laugh a good deal."

01 | What is CyberStart?

See CyberStart in action with a tour from cybersecurity expert James Lyne

A CyberStart leaderboard with an example challenge at the forefront.

CyberStart's all-in-one platform makes learning cybersecurity inclusive, fun & easy to implement

A group of students smiling at their computers.

No experience required

No time or specialist knowledge is required from teachers as CyberStart has all the resources students need to take learning into their own hands.

A circle of students at their laptops smiling.

Accessible to all abilities

CyberStart's challenges are perfect for beginners and steadily advance as students progress so everyone can learn new skills.

Built by industry experts

Created by a team of cybersecurity experts, all educational content in CyberStart is up-to-date with the latest industry standards.

Each student learns the way that suits them best with CyberStart's exclusive features

A completed CyberStart challenge with a character celebrating success.

Create engagement with 200+ practical labs

Students start solving digital crimes and fixing cybersecurity vulnerabilities straight away using a huge range of hands-on techniques.

The CyberStart Field Manual with a video and text.

Boost knowledge with the Field Manual

Through entertaining video tutorials and comprehensive write-ups, the Field Manual helps students solve challenges and deepen their understanding of the concepts they encounter in-game.

Track progress with Groups

Groups spark healthy competition and collaboration between your students as they race for points on their own leaderboards, while you track their play to identify who is doing well or might need help.

Register your interest At this time, registration is open to students who self-identify as girls or non-binary, attending high school in Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia.
Read full eligibility criteria here.

02 | How does CyberStart Canada work?

CyberStart Canada gives you and your students free access to the cybersecurity educational game, CyberStart

Cybersecurity and computer science are ever-changing subjects that can be daunting to teach. Many educators feel they don't have the skills, time, or proper resources to educate a mixed ability classroom on these topics, even though they are crucial for countless industries. That's where CyberStart comes in.

Inspire

Engage all students with inclusive and practical cybersecurity training

Branded illustration emphasizing the Discover idea

No matter their skill level, all your students can start learning real cybersecurity techniques through 200+ fun cybersecurity challenges that will have them instantly hooked.

Anonymous, teacher

"I think it helped the girls understand that they CAN do computer science and that there are a variety of fields open to girls in computer science."

Improve

You save time while students learn a skill set desired in almost every industry

Branded illustration emphasizing the Advance idea

CyberStart's all-in-one platform becomes the teacher, giving your students hands-on skills and theoretical knowledge of cybersecurity that goes beyond the school curriculum and opens opportunities in an in-demand, growing sector.

Cassandra, teacher

"It is presented in a fun, interactive environment that encourages students to problem-solve, code and learn how Computer Science works. My students loved the challenge."

03 | What will students learn?

Cryptography

Learn how to decode, decrypt and hash secret messages using common formats.

Password security

Find out what makes a strong password, plus why websites and users often have poor security.

Social engineering

Discover the tricks of scammers, traits of phishing attacks and how users are easily snared.

Steganography

Dig into images to find extra data, hidden messages and even buried programmes.

Network forensics

Analyse computer memory and disc drives to track down data and uncover digital trails.

Reverse engineering

Learn how to understand a program, then alter the logic and data to make it do what you wish.

File forensics

There's more to a file than you typically see! Learn how to find meta data and identifying info

Scripting

Code, hack and program your way into systems, get around restrictions and uncover data.

Hashing

Discover what hashing is, its use cases and how hashing speed affects tasks

Browser dev tools

Understand the browser tools a hacker uses to review network traffic, code and systems

Assembly debugging

Stop programs at exact points, skip over logic, rewrite apps and spot vulnerabilities

Linux command line

Become a terminal wizard, mastering commands and speeding through tasks

04 | How do I get involved?

Join

Register your interest so that your students can gain access to the learning platform and see the content and challenges!

Share the opportunity with as many students as you can. Each student must register for their free access in September.

Monitor

Monitor your students' progress with an awesome groups feature!

Relax!

That's it, let CyberStart Canada do the rest with our on-demand, self-guided platform!

05 | What are the key dates and eligibility criteria?

Key dates

Registration for 2022 opens:

September 6, 2022

Play CyberStart between:

September 6, 2022 to January 31, 2023

Eligibility criteria

Priority in 2022 will be given to students in Ontario, Alberta or British Columbia who self-identify as girls or non-binary. Students must be over the age of 13 to participate.

CyberStart Canada is an initiative of Rogers Cybersecure Catalyst, Toronto Metropolitan University’s national centre for training, innovation and collaboration in cybersecurity.

With support from:

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