A program aimed at helping high school girls learn cybersecurity while competing for scholarships is now underway for its second year in Montana.
Seventy girls from 11 schools across Montana participated in the national Girls Go CyberStart competition and last year and more than $2,700 in cash prizes and scholarships were awarded to the girls.
Registration for the program started Monday and runs until Jan. 31, 2020. Any high school girl, in grades nine-through-12 can register to compete. The girls play a CyberStart game, which is designed to help them improve their cyber-security skills.
Last year, Sarah Heller from Capital High School competed in the game, and she's going to participate again this year as a junior.
"There's a lot of different things, there were some challenges where you're learning about python and binary coding, and others that were more broad, cyber-security in general, about websites and hacking,” Heller explained.
“And then there was some binary stuff, and I love a good puzzle, I really do. It was really easy to access, and it was very interactive in a way that made me feel like I was succeeding, and not just stuck frustrated," she added.
