LEWISTON, Idaho – Karl Lundgren, who is working on a bachelor’s degree at Lewis-Clark State College, was named as one of 100 finalists in the Cyber FastTrack cybersecurity competition, which drew more than 13,000 students from 1,290 colleges and universities across the United States.
By being a finalist, Lundgren has been awarded a $22,000 scholarship by Cyber FastTrack to attend the SANS Technology Institute as part of an accredited college program called Applied Cybersecurity. SANS Technology Institute offers undergraduate and graduate programs in cybersecurity through live and online courses. The Applied Cybersecurity program offers a 12-credit certificate as well as graduate certificates and a master’s program in information security engineering.
Cyber FastTrack is a free online cybersecurity program and competition for college students and graduates, designed by experts in cybersecurity. The program is held over four months and features tutorials, quizzes, exams and challenges.
Students had to complete at least one challenge to advance in the competition, which 9,574 did, including 304 that solved all 15 challenges in the first round. After more challenges, the field was cut to 2,679 students in May and then 541 semifinalists in July. The 100 finalists, who had to solve more than 250 cybersecurity challenges, were named last week.
The 100 finalists represent 63 colleges across 29 states. Lundgren was one of five finalists from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Wyoming combined.
Lundgren, who is from Buhl and attended Twin Falls High School, is on schedule to complete a degree in computer science at LC State in May. He competed four years on the Warriors’ cross country team and finished in the top 50 at the national meet twice.
The aim of SANS Applied Cybersecurity is to prepare students with the knowledge, tools, and techniques needed to launch a rewarding career in cybersecurity. The program is designed to produce graduates who are among the top 1% of all students in the United States in reliably measured cybersecurity aptitude and have fully mastered the skills critical to success as cybersecurity professionals, ranging from networking to operating systems and programming.