This page has a list of other resources that teams may find useful for the competition. This is not intended to be a comprehensive list, and teams are encouraged are use the expertise of their Coaches and Mentors to branch out and find other resources on their own. 

HOW THE INTERNET WORKS

Internet security is a key part of the CyberPatriot competition. As su​ch, we highly recommend possessing technical knowledge of how the Internet works. Some important concepts include:

• Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)
• Internet Protocol (IP)
• Domain Name System (DNS)
• Domain Name Resolution
• Domain Names/Hostnames
• Ports
• IANA Ports Registry

THREATS AND BASIC DEFENSES

The US Computer Emergency Response Team (US CERT) releases material including descriptions of basic computer defenses and tips for staying safe online. Comodo also has a primer on cyber threats and cyber defense. Some concepts to be familiar with include: 

• Threats
• Botnets
• Buffer Overflows
• Denial of Service (DoS)
• Malware 
• Phishing
• Rootkits
• Spyware and Trojans

• Defenses
• Antivirus Software
• Firewalls

OTHER LINKS

National Finalists from previous competition seasons have noted the following sites as being very helpful in their training and preparation:

• Center for Internet Security - Provides numerous resources on Internet security and creates cybersecurity standards
• CNET - Offers the latest cybersecurity news and offers thoousands of open-source software programs for download
• Mandiant- Provides up-to-date information on the most dangerous threats in cyberspace
• Ninite - Hosts a program that can quickly update all of your software at once
• NOVA Labs -  The Cybersecurity Lab is a game where players learn basic coding skills, how to spot phishing scams, and how online networks defend against attacks.​
• SANS - Provides free and fee-based training and resources for cybersecurity professionals
• SourceForge - Hosts a wealth of open-source software, much of which can help keep an operating system secure from attacks
• Splunk- Offers a monitoring and reporting program that helps thwart attacks as they happen and provides insight into past attacks. Splunk is a CyberGold sponsor of CyberPatriot.
• SuperUser​​ - Uses the knowledge of computer experts around the world to answer cybersecurity questions
• TechRepublic - Contains a wide range of resources for technical professionals​
• ​CyberSecurityEducation.org - Free collection of cyberseurity education and career resources