Students get cyber-skills awards

WARWICK – Nine local high schools students were recognized in an awards ceremony on May 19 for their cyber skills.
The winners of the R.I. High School Cyber Foundations Competition were recognized at an event at the New England Institute of Technology’s Center for Business and Industry.
The local competition, with more than 90 participants, consisted of timed quizzes testing the students’ cyber skills in networking, operating systems and system administration.
“It is my hope that this contest will harness the abilities of students in Rhode Island to protect our country and make the Ocean State a leader in a fast-growing industry that will create jobs and build up the economy,” said U.S. Rep. James R. Langevin, who co-founded the Congressional Cybersecurity Caucus. “All the best ideas won’t keep us secure without the right people to execute them, and our nation’s cyber workforce is not large enough to match the scale of these threats.”
The first place winner was Luca Spinazzola, Narragansett High School; second place was Alex Fahlman, Exeter West Greenwich Regional High School; and Brandon Barrette of the Warwick Area Career and Technical Center placed third.
Other high-scoring students recognized at the ceremony were: Kyle Morelli, Coventry High School; Joe Vierra, Cranston Area Career and Technical Center; Jeffrey Tipton, Cranston High School East; Kevin Laynez, E-Cubed Academy; Emily Silverman, Rocky Hill School; and Corey Lussier, Woonsocket Area Career and Technical Center.
Nationally, the Center for Internet Security conducted the competition in 135 high schools in March and April in 26 states with nearly 1,000 participants.