SECURITY. >> NBC SENIOR INVESTIGATIVE
CORRESPONDENT, CYNTHIA McFADDEN,
IS HERE TO EXPLAIN.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> Reporter: GOOD MORNING, I
LOVE THIS STORY.
THE NEW HEAD OF THE NATIONAL
SECURITY AGENCY SAYS, THIS IS
ONE OF HIS TOP PRIORITIES.
IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, EXPERTS
PREDICT A WORLDWIDE SHORTAGE OF
NEARLY 2 MILLION CYBER SECURITY
PROFESSIONALS.
PROFESSIONALS. 300,000 JOBS IN THE U.S. OPEN
TODAY.
TODAY. WHAT TO DO?
START RECRUITING EARLY.
MEET THE HOPE OF THE FUTURE, A
BUNCH OF MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL
STUDENTS WHO WE CALL CYBER
PATRIOTS.
PATRIOTS. >> WE’RE GOING TO DO DOT, LETTER
ONE.
ONE. >> Reporter: THIS IS SERIOUS
BUSINESS.
BUSINESS. >> DON’T TOUCH THAT.
>> Reporter: KIDS BEING TAUGHT
THE CUTTING-EDGE TECHNIQUES ON
HOW TO DEFEND AMERICA FROM CYBER
ATTACKS.
ATTACKS. >> THEY AREN’T TOO HARD TO
UNDERSTAND.
UNDERSTAND. >> Reporter: SOME RECRUITS STILL
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> WE NEED ONE FOR RATCHET,
ALSO.
ALSO. SAME ONE.
SAME ONE. >> Reporter: IT’S ALL PART OF A
NATIONAL COMPETITION CALLED
CYBER PATRIOT, GROOMING KIDS TOC
WE’VE BEEN FOLLOWING AN
ALL-FEMALE TEAM FROM HIGHLANDS
RANCH, COLORADO, SINCE LAST
FALL.
FALL. DOES THAT MEAN SOMETHING TO YOU,
TO BE A PATRIOT?
>> YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR
PEOPLE THAT DON’T KNOW HOW TO
PROTECT THEMSELVES.
PROTECT THEMSELVES. WITH MY MOM, SHE HAS NO PASSWORD
ON HER COMPUTER OR ANYTHING ON
IT.
IT. YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT PEOPLE THAT
DON’T KNOW THE SAME THING ABOUT
CYBER THAT YOU DO.
>> Reporter: KIDS COULD BE AN
ANSWER TO A HUGE NATIONAL
SECURITY PROBLEM.
SECURITY PROBLEM. TOO MANY KEY CYBER SECURITY JOBS
AND TOO FEW PEOPLE TO FILL THEM.
THE NEW LEADER OF U.S. CYBER
COMMAND AND THE NSA CONSIDERS
THIS SO IMPORTANT, HE AGREED TO
GIVE US HIS FIRST INTERVIEW.
HOW DO YOU IMAGINE, PLAN FOR,
PREPARE FOR, THE FUTURE?
WHAT YOU’RE LOOKING FOR ARE THE
YOUNG PEOPLE, PEOPLE LIKE THOSE
IN CYBER PATRIOT TODAY, THAT
HAVE THE IMAGINATION, THE
KNOW-HOW, THE INITIATIVE, TO BE
ABLE TO WANT TO WORK IN THIS
SPACE, THAT ARE ADDICTED TO WORK
IN CYBERSPACE.
IN CYBERSPACE. >> Reporter: A WHO’S WHO OF
SECURITY CONTRACTORS ARE AMONG
CYBER PATRIOTS FUNDERS.
THE COMPETITION STARTED BY THE
AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION NEARLY A
DECADE AGO, HAS GROWN FROM A
HANDFUL OF STUDENTS IN FLORIDA
TO OVER 25,000 KIDS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. LESS THAN 1% OF THE PARTICIPANTS
MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ROUND IN
BALTIMORE.
BALTIMORE. THE GIRLS WHO CALL THEMSELVES
FALCON.ZIP MADE THE CUT.
IS IT COOL TO BE THE ALL-GIRLS
TEAM?
TEAM? >> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: AND ARE THERE SOME
ALL-MALE TEAMS?
ALL-MALE TEAMS? >> A LOT.
>> A LOT. >> Reporter: THE STEREOTYPE IS,
WHEN IT COMES TO COMPUTERS,
CYBER STUFF, IT’S REALLY FOR
BOYS.
BOYS. >> IT’S MOSTLY MARKETED TOWARDS
BOYS.
BOYS. THEY MAKE THE STEREOTYPE LIKE,
BOYS LOVE VIDEO GAMES.
BOYS WILL BE BOYS.
AND IT MAKES IT SO GIRLS, EVEN
FOR ME, I DIDN’T CONSIDER THIS A
THING THAT I COULD BE DOING.
>> I KNOW IT’S SOMETHING I WOULD
LOVE TO DO.
AND IT’S ALSO SOMETHING I
STRUGGLED TO GET INTO.
>> SOMEDAY, THEY WILL WORK IN AN
ORGANIZATION CENTER LIKE THIS,
WHERE YOU HAVE LIVE FEEDS AND
FIVE UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE AN
ATTACK INVESTIGATOR ISE VECTOR I
WHERE IT’S GOING TO.
>> Reporter: SHE IS ONE OF CYBER
PATRIOT’S BIGGEST ADVOCATES.
HOW IMPORTANT IS HAVING A GOOD
CYBER DEFENSE TO THIS COUNTRY?
>> I CAN’T IMAGINE ANYTHING MORE
IMPORTANT.
IMPORTANT. THE MORE DEPENDENT WE ARE ON A
CAPABILITY, THE MORE IMPORTANT
THE DEFENSE OF THAT CAPABILITY.
>> Reporter: THIS IS LIKE
SCOUTING.
SCOUTING. YOU THINK ABOUT THE FOOTBALL
MODEL.
MODEL. >> THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
>> Reporter: 0660% OF CYBER
PATRIOT ALUMNI WENT TO MAJOR ON
CYBER SECURITY IN COLLEGE.
AND 82% OF THE GRADUATES ARE
WORKING IN THE FIELD.
>> I’M APPLYING FOR THE AIR
FORCE ACADEMY, ACTUALLY.
I FEEL LIKE THE RESOURCES THE
MILITARY OFFERS, IT’S MUCH
BROADER THAN YOU MIGHT EXPECT.
>> Reporter: I GET THE FEELING
THAT YOU’RE ALL REALLY HAPPY YOU
DID THIS?
DID THIS? >> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: FALCON.ZIP DIDN’T
WIN A TROPHY AT THE NATIONALS.
BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN IT WAS A
WASTE OF TIME.
>> THEY ARE THE FUTURE.
THEY ARE WHAT MAKE ME SLEEP WELL
AT NIGHT.
AT NIGHT. I COULDN’T BE PROUDER.
>> WHETHER OR NOT THEY’RE IN
GOVERNMENT, THEY DECIDE TO JOIN
THE MILITARY, IN PRIVATE SECTOR,
THIS IS THE STRENGTH OF OUR
NATION.
NATION. THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN
CONNECTED SINCE THE DAY THEY’VE
BEEN BORN.
BEEN BORN. THE SKILLS THEY LEARN TODAY WILL
SERVE THEM WELL.
>> Reporter: AND THIS COUNTRY.
>> AND THIS COUNTRY.
>> Reporter: THE COMPETITION
WILL BE GOING INTO ITS TENTH
YEAR NEXT YEAR.
AND A BRIGHT IDEA FROM THE
GENERAL, WHO WE SPOKE WITH.
SHE SAID, WHY NOT DEPLOY THE
CYBER PATRIOTS TO DEAL WITH OUR
BROKENDOWN ELECTION SYSTEM.
>> JUST DEPLOY THEM WHEREVER
NEEDED.
NEEDED. THEY’RE IMPRESSIVE.
THEY’RE IMPRESSIVE. >> THEY’RE REALLY DEDICATED TO
THIS.
THIS. IT’S AMAZING.
IT’S AMAZING. THIS OPENS YOUNG PEOPLE’S EYES
TO THE POSSIBILITIES.
AND IT REALLY IS A SERVICE TO
THE NATION.
THE NATION. >> DID YOU SAY IN YOUR
INTRODUCTION, CYNTHIA, THERE’S
300,000 OPEN JOBS IN THIS FIELD?
>> RIGHT THIS SECOND.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. >> IT’S GREAT.
FOR KIDS, THEY GREW UP WITH
THESE.
THESE. THEY WERE SAYING, BY THE WAY,
THE ONE TIP FROM THE GIRLS’
TEAM.
TEAM. THEY SAID, GO TELL ALL YOUR OLD
PEOPLE FRIENDS --
>> THAT WOULD BE US.
HERE WE ARE.
>> MAKE A PHRASE.
DON’T USE A NAME.
DON’T USE A WORD.
BUT A PHRASE IS ALMOST
IMPOSSIBLE TO GET.
>> FOR YOUR PASSWORD?
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. FOR YOUR PHRASE.
>> MY MOM DOESN’T HAVE A
PASSWORD.
PASSWORD. >> IT ALL COMES BACK TO MOM.
>> TOTALLY.
>> TOTALLY. GREAT STORY.
GREAT STORY. >> GREAT PIECE, CYNTHIA.
>>> AL, IT’S GETTING HOT.