Florida State University's Information Technology Services department is kicking off its annual challenge to bring awareness and education to cybersecurity threats, part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
The Cyber Bowl runs from Oct. 7-18. Online games and training events will be available during the campaign to prepare students and faculty for potential cyber threats.
FSU will compete against 10 other Florida universities, including rivals the University of Florida and Miami. The school with the highest percentage of game entries from students and employees will be crowned Cyber Security Champion.
"This year's Cyber Bowl promises to be incredibly exciting," said Bill Hunkapiller, chief information security officer at FSU. "One of our key goals is to raise awareness about the risks people face in today's digital landscape. As the cybersecurity industry bolsters its defenses with advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, many bad actors are turning to social engineering tactics. Users should be extra vigilant about the authenticity of communications, including links, text messages and phone calls."
Players will take the virtual field and tackle five challenging questions - ranging from phishing blindsides to intercepted credit cards - to find out if they can help their school bring home the cybersecurity championship.
To boost participation, FSU will give away two $500 student scholarships and one pair of tickets to randomly selected participants for the University of North Carolina vs. Florida State football game at Doak Campbell Stadium on Nov. 2.
"Every year, we see cyber threats continue to grow, but we also see the knowledge of the FSU community grow," said Alexa Lowry, ITS marketing coordinator. "Events like the Cyber Bowl are meant to continue to grow that interest in cybersecurity. This year, we hope to get even more of the FSU community involved in cybersecurity and help FSU come out on top."
Visit its.fsu.edu/cyberbowl from Oct. 7-18 to participate.
Throughout the month, ITS will be hosting additional training events to help enhance cybersecurity awareness:
Oct. 9 | University Threat Update with Palo Alto Unit 42
Oct. 16 | FSU Incident Response Plan
Oct. 24 | AI and Deep Fakes Social Engineering with Microsoft
Oct. 30 | Seminole Secure Alphabet Soup with FSU Emergency Management
