AFA Congratulates CyberPatriot National Champions
Rockville, Md., March 26, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 18th season of CyberPatriot came to an exciting end on Monday, March 23, with the announcement of the winners of the Air & Space Forces Association’s (AFA) annual National Youth Cyber Defense Competition. Of the 4,787 teams that started the competition season, only 25 made the cut to attend the National Finals in Rockville, Md.
High school teams competed either in the Open Division, which is open to any high school aged team, or the All Service Division for teams from Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, or Space Force JROTC units, as well as Civil Air Patrol Squadrons or U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Divisions.
The 2026 National Champions are:
- Open Division: Team TitanTurtles from Sunshine Elite Education (Beaverton, Ore.)
- All-Service Division: Team Terabyte Falcons from Scripps Ranch High School Air Force JROTC (San Diego, Calif.)
- Middle School Division: Team CyberAegis Hydra from Scouting America Exploring Club 2927 (San Diego, Calif.)
The full list of winners and runners-up can be found here.
The full photo library for the CyberPatriot national finals can be found here.
The national finals competition began on Saturday, March 21, when teams representing middle schools, high schools, JROTCs, and other educational organizations from across the country were put to the ultimate CyberPatriot test. During the challenging weekend, teams faced real-world cybersecurity scenarios in the Network Security Master Challenge and Cisco NetAcad Challenge, testing their skills in network defense, infrastructure security, and critical system protection. Following the events, teams attended a banquet on March 23, where the National Champion from each division was announced.
“The CyberPatriot 18 season showcased not only the technical excellence of the teams but also the curiosity, collaboration, and resilience that define future leaders in cybersecurity” said Rachel Zimmerman, CyberPatriot National Commissioner. “With almost 5,000 teams starting the journey, the National Finals highlighted the countless hours of hard work and passion the teams have put into this season. Congratulations to the champions! Your skill, teamwork, and determination have earned you a truly remarkable victory.”
Registration for the 2026-27 CyberPatriot 19 season will open on May 1. To learn more about CyberPatriot and register your team, please visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.
Contact Information: info@uscyberpatriot.org
About CyberPatriot
CyberPatriot is the nation’s largest youth cyber education program and AFA’s flagship STEM program dedicated to strengthening cyber skills among American youth. In addition to the National Youth Cyber Defense Competition for high school and middle school students, the program features AFA CyberCamps, an Elementary School Cyber Education Initiative and Literature Series, a Tech Caregiver certification and community service opportunity, and CyberGenerations—a program aimed at equipping senior citizens with the skills needed to stay protected from cyber threats. For more information, visit www.uscyberpatriot.org.
About AFA
The Air & Space Forces Association is an independent, non-profit 501(c)3 association dedicated to advocating for investment and support for the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force, and for supporting Airmen, Guardians, and their Families. Founded in 1946, AFA is the single largest entity of its kind focused on air and space power. With more than 350,000 members and 200+ chapters spread around the world, our mission is to promote a dominant U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force as the foundation of a strong National Defense; to honor and support Airmen, Guardians, and their Families; and to remember and respect the enduring heritage of the Air and Space Forces.
AFA's CyberPatriot 877-885-5716 info@uscyberpatriot.org
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