Cybersecurity Foundations
Description
Participants complete a Cybersecurity exam covering general cybersecurity vocabulary and knowledge needed to execute tasks commonly performed by all levels of cybersecurity professionals. Using digital presentation software, participants prepare a presentation, addressing a specific cybersecurity issue (see below), to a group of hypothetical corporate board members.
2026-27 Problem Statement: FinStream Technologies is a fast-growing financial technology startup. During a routine audit, the security team notices anomalies in the network logs. A senior software engineer who recently submitted their two-week notice has been downloading unusually large volumes of proprietary source code and client financial data from the cloud repository to a local workstation and subsequently transferring it to an unencrypted external USB drive. Analyze the immediate actions required to secure the data, investigate the scope of the exfiltration, and recommend policy changes.
Aydin Emam, Kirkland MS, 2026 1st Place
Additional Resources
Quizlet - A list of Cybersecurity questions generated by previous competitors.
Key Vocabulary - A list of key vocabulary that may appear on the exam.
Intro to Cybersecurity - An introduction to basic principles of cybersecurity.
Presentation 101 - An introduction on how to make and deliver an effective presentation.
Event Deadlines
January 21, 2027
Students will need their Participant ID number, and password, from their advisor.
Students should summarize the problem and their solution, and list their fictitious (fake) company name. Submit as 1 pdf file.
Students should also take the Cybersecurity test.
April 2027
Students will take a Cybersecurity test at the state conference on Wednesday night during the testing window.
Students must bring a laptop for testing that can connect to wifi (which may require entering a password).
Semifinalists will give a presentation.
NOTE
This is a low enrollment event, requiring students to receive at least 75% of the total points possible to be in the Top 5 on stage, or to progress to the National TSA Conference in this event.
Washington TSA Rules
To compete, students must:
Belong to a currently affiliated TSA chapter
Be registered (by their TSA advisor) for competition by December 18, 2026 ($35)
Compete in the January 21, 2027 virtual competition (see individual event pages for details)
Be selected as a top competitor in their event(s) and invited to participate at State
Number of competitors is dependent on specific event
Qualifying competitor lists will be published by February 7, 2027
State Conference registration week February 22-26, 2027 (see state conference page for details)
At the state level, 5 individuals per chapter may compete.
Additional Information
Event Coordinator:
Event Manager: Spencer Martin, spencer.martin@sunnysideschools.org
