CyberLaunch
The nation's largest high school cyber competition
This unique program provides access for thousands of Florida high school and middle school students each year
CyberLaunch began in 2024 with the goal of providing an on-ramp to cybersecurity careers for any interested high school student in Florida. Leveraging the statewide reach of our Operation K12 program, we are proud to share that thousands of students have participated over the past three years.
Eligibility + Guidelines
Virtual Qualifier
- Any Florida middle or high school (grades 6-12 – public or private) may participate in the Virtual Qualifier.
- There is no cost for participation; however, you MUST RESERVE YOUR PLACE in advance.
- There will be three competition tracks: beginner, intermediate, and advanced.
- Each team must be 3 or 4 students.
State Championship
- Select high-scoring teams from the Virtual Qualifier event will be invited to attend the State Championship event in person.
- Funding for travel and accommodations for the State Championship is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. If your district can provide travel and accommodations for your team(s), we encourage you to apply to leave as much funding as possible for under-resourced districts.
- Lunch and an afternoon snack will be provided on-site during the in-person event.
Important Deadlines
This event involves dozens of schools and hundreds of students. Coordinating it takes considerable expense and effort, and space is limited. To ensure fairness to all, we will be strictly adhering to the following deadlines:
- September 2026: School Reservation form for Virtual Qualifier open – Deadline to submit is November 1, 2026
- November 2026: Virtual Qualifier event held
- December 2026: High-scoring schools invited to State Championship event
- February 2027: Schools invited to participate in the State Championship must submit an RSVP form. The deadline to submit is February 15, 2027. This form will be sent directly to qualifying teams.
Disclaimer: The CyberLaunch program and its related events are offered at the sole discretion of Cyber Florida at USF. Anyone deemed disruptive or likely to be disruptive may be denied participation at any time.
Event Sponsors
CyberLaunch provides hundreds of middle & high school students throughout Florida with access to explore the potential of a career in cybersecurity—many of whom would not otherwise have the chance. Your support helps Cyber Florida cover the costs of food, transportation, and overnight accommodations as needed to ensure that ANY public high school student in the state of Florida can participate, regardless of their circumstances. Your support will help hundreds of students to take the first step toward a brighter future in a high-demand field!
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How do I know if my school is eligible?
Any Florida middle or high school, including private and charter schools, may participate. Participation is limited to students in grades 6-12.
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I'm not a cyber or technology teacher, can I still be a faculty advisor?
Yes. The goal of this program is to provide access to as many interested students as possible. Therefore, any employee authorized by the school to serve as the faculty advisor may do so regardless of their native subject area. Cyber Florida will help students and teachers learn and provide the necessary information for the competition. Faculty advisors will be asked to host optional activities with interested students (with Cyber Florida’s support) and to facilitate transportation and chaperone needs for the in-person event if your school is selected to attend.
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I missed the Virtual Qualifiers. Can I still attend the championship event?
Only the high-scoring teams from the Virtual Qualifiers are invited to the State Championship.
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Are spectators or parents allowed at the State Championship?
No. Spectators, parents included, are not allowed to attend the State Championship. To maximize the number of students who may attend and maintain student safety, only Cyber Florida personnel, school employees, and district-approved chaperones are allowed on the premises. Visitors who have not been invited/registered for the event will be asked to leave.
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Do I have to install software to participate?
No, the competition platform and practice tools are web-based and do not require any software installation.
Make sure your school/district whitelists the following domains to access the virtual events and receive communication about all events:
*simspace.com, *cyberflorida.org
Include the wildcard asterisk to allow any subdomains. -
What are the tech requirements for this event?
Each team will need at least two laptops with the latest versions of Chrome/Firefox/Safari and internet access.
Make sure your school/district whitelists the following domains to access the virtual events and receive communication about all events:
*simspace.com, *cyberflorida.org
Include the wildcard asterisk to allow subdomains. -
How long is the competition?
The Virtual Qualifiers are completed in two-hour time blocks.
The State Championship begins at 10:00 AM and concludes at 2:00 PM, followed by the awards presentation. -
Is there help during the event?
Cyber Florida's professional ARCS Range team and volunteer cybersecurity undergraduate students will be available on-site and online to deconflict any potential technical issues. However, they will not be providing knowledge-based assistance. The students must answer questions on their own.
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How are teams scored?
Scoring will be calculated based on total points earned by answering the CTF questions, and time will be the tie-breaker if needed.
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I am a teacher/coach. What's my role during game day?
For the State Championship, teachers and coaches may observe the competition from the designated viewing area or through the live stream provided in the Teachers' Lounge. Once the competition has begun, there is to be no contact between teachers/coaches and students, either in person or through electronic means.
Any team discovered communicating with their teacher/coach in any format will have points deducted and may be disqualified at the discretion of Cyber Florida.
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Is there a code of conduct for competitors?
Yes. Students are expected to communicate respectfully, demonstrate good sportsmanship, and collaborate only with assigned team members. All activities must remain within the official CTF platform. Students may not attempt to access, scan, or test external systems. Ethical conduct is required at all times. Do not share personal information or passwords. Use only assigned login credentials. Any rule violations, unauthorized assistance, or attempts to exploit the platform may result in disqualification at Cyber Florida's discretion.
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Will the event be recorded?
While the entire event will not be recorded, photography and videography will take place. There is no way to distinguish those who do not want their image captured and shared. The team faculty representative is responsible for informing all parties, especially students and their parents, that attending the event constitutes consent to being photographed and filmed for the purposes of reporting on and promoting the program.
We recommend that teachers have a photo release form on file at their school for each attending student. Cyber Florida is not responsible for collecting or administering photo releases.
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We're staying overnight. Will there be a place to store luggage?
For the State Championship (in-person event), no luggage will be allowed within the venue. Please leave anything larger than a backpack in your vehicle/bus. Backpacks and other small bags are allowed, but must be kept with you at all times.