Students invited to take part in MAGIC's 'Capture the Flag'

SANDPOINT ­— Are you interested in the coolest and up-and-coming technology? Maybe you love to learn new skills? Or maybe you have an interest in a career in technology?

Ting Sandpoint is inviting local students to take part in this weekend’s Mid-Atlantic Gigabit Innovation Collaboratory’s annual Capture the Flag ethical hacking cybersecurity competition. The competition will be held Saturday, Nov. 9, in the Matchwood community room, 513 Oak St. Doors open at 8 a.m. and the competition begins at 9:30 a.m.

As part of the entry level cybersecurity competitions, students will use hacking tools to solve puzzles and earn points. The team with the most points when the bell rings wins.

Last year, two Sandpoint youth teams competed in the competition with the assistance of Ting volunteer mentors and coaches, guiding them through a series of challenges that required competitors to solve cybersecurity dilemmas and crack codes. CTF is an entry-level cybersecurity competition for high school and college students. No prior experience is required and the event is free for participants.

The Sandpoint teams competed against 46 teams from across the U.S. as well as Estonia and Equador. CtrlAltElite and Vector90 were the first teams from Sandpoint to compete in MAGIC CTF and the only representatives from the West Coast. CtrlAltElite consisted of Chloe Martin, Joel Hill, Andrew Wittmann and Dylan Martin. Team Vector90 included Colleen Morgan and Amy Morgan. Students worked on teams to solve a series of cybersecurity puzzles set up in a Jeopardy-style format.

MAGIC is a local non-profit in Westminster, and is dedicated to making sure the economic development potential of the Westminster Fiber Network is fully realized. Westminster is another “Ting Town,” where Ting Internet is the network service provider of fiber Internet, with speeds up to 1,000 Mbps.

MAGIC was established to create a space for tech innovation and entrepreneurship to thrive. The organization works to increase students’ interest in cybersecurity and prepare them for future careers in technology and cybersecurity.

Technology talent and high-speed broadband networks are two essential ingredients for innovation and growth. The fiber network in the city of Sandpoint and other Ting Towns are key points of leverage to attract talent, encourage learning and stimulate economic development.

To register you or your team, go online to https://magicinc.org/events . You can enter as an individual or a team, with teams having a maximum of four members. All team members must register to participate. All participants must sign a media release since the competition will be live-streamed and televised on public access channels.

Information: 208-627-5060 or autumn@ting.com