CIAS

08/18/2026

Attention! Our Back-to-School Cybersecurity Sale has begun!

Gear up for the new school year with 25% off our newly designed Cyber Threat Defender game mats and 10% off other cybersecurity games and accessories.

The sale ends September 15, so stock up for your classroom while supplies last! Visit https://bit.ly/4fSMxF2

08/12/2026

Classroom boxes of Cyber Threat Defender are being prepped and packed for shipment to teachers across the country!

Each box means more students getting the chance to learn about cybersecurity through hands-on, engaging gameplay. We can’t wait to see these games land in classrooms nationwide and help the next generation of cyber defenders get started.

Side note... what do you think of our new classroom box designs?

07/30/2026

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming education, and K-12 teachers have an exciting opportunity to build the skills they need to confidently bring AI into the classroom.

We're proud to share this opportunity from our valued K-12 Cyber Journey Program sponsor, Booz Allen. Through the Booz Allen Foundation and its partnership with the AI Education Project (aiEDU), educators are invited to apply for the Trailblazers Fellowship, a 12-week virtual professional learning experience designed for K-12 teachers.

Participants will receive:
🔹An $875 stipend, with additional compensation opportunities available
🔹Hands-on training to build AI readiness
🔹Ready-to-use classroom resources and lesson implementation support
🔹A certificate of completion
🔹Access to a national network of educators helping shape the future of AI education

Applications open Aug. 10, 2026, and the fellowship runs from late September through November.

If you're a K-12 educator looking to strengthen your AI knowledge and prepare students for tomorrow's workforce, we encourage you to explore this opportunity.

Learn more and apply beginning August 10 👉 https://www.aiedu.org/trailblazers-fellowship

Thank you to Booz Allen for continuing to invest in educators and helping prepare the next generation with the knowledge and skills they'll need in an AI-driven world.

Join the aiEDU Trailblazers Fellowship and take a lead role in shaping the future of AI education.

07/29/2026

Did you know? In just two hours, you can take an important step toward strengthening your community's cybersecurity preparedness.

This self-paced, web-based course, MGT-364-W Using the Community Cyber Security Maturity Model (CCSMM) to Develop a Cybersecurity Program, introduces the CCSMM and provides practical guidance for building a coordinated, sustainable cybersecurity program.

Whether you work in government, emergency management, critical infrastructure, or simply want to better understand community cyber resilience, this course offers valuable insights you can apply right away.

✅ 2-hour online course
✅ Learn at your own pace
✅ No cost to participants

Start learning today >> https://bit.ly/4fHr9nq

Our team developed this course as part of the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium. Since it's congressionally funded, there is no cost to register! When you click on the link above, you'll be redirected to a partner's website to register.

07/21/2026

A new era of Cyber Threat Defender has arrived.

As we celebrate 10 years of Cyber Threat Defender, we're introducing a refreshed look for the game that started our K-12 Cyber Journey.

Meet the Sentinel, the newest guardian of cybersecurity awareness and the first glimpse of what's ahead.

Our updated game mats are now available (https://bit.ly/4fcWzD9), and they're just the beginning. Throughout the rest of the year, we'll be unveiling more exciting additions to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Stay tuned... the next chapter of Cyber Threat Defender is just getting started.

07/20/2026

How does your organization determine which assets matter most?

In as little as eight hours, PER-342: Identifying, Prioritizing, and Assessing High Value Assets (HVAs) provides a practical methodology for identifying mission-essential assets and prioritizing cybersecurity resources where they'll have the greatest impact. Participants also learn how to align remediation efforts with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.

One recent participant shared their most valuable takeaway: "Understanding how to identify my organization's HVAs, and directing the correct resources to help prioritize them."

🔹Wed., August 5 to Thurs., August 6
🔹8 a.m. - Noon Pacific / 10 am - 2 pm Central
🔹Virtual, Instructor-Led

Ready to strengthen your organization's cybersecurity strategy? Register for this course today 👉 https://bit.ly/4fKNaCL

As a course through the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium, there is no cost to register!

07/16/2026

Strengthen your organization's ability to turn cybersecurity data into actionable intelligence by attending PER-412: Cyber Threat Intelligence, beginning July 28th, from the National Cybersecurity Preparedness Consortium (NCPC)!

This virtual, instructor-led course provides participants with a practical framework for collecting, analyzing and sharing cyber threat intelligence to reduce risk and support informed decision-making.

🔹Tues., July 28 - Fri., July 31
🔹8 a.m. to Noon CST

Seats are limited! Register at 👉 https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=-40iOkfGy0SINXsgYX_JBl33VzZsA9JGt5exbL4FsFpUMDhLSExJUlBJTk9OT1hWN0Q2MFRVVlRMSSQlQCN0PWcu&route=shorturl&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=07-16-26_post

There is NO COST to register for this course, which is ideal for technical personnel and managers across public and private critical infrastructure organizations!

The CIAS is delivering this offering as a member of the NCPC.

07/14/2026

For 10 years, Cyber Threat Defender has helped students discover cybersecurity through play.

This anniversary isn't just about looking back. It's about what's next.
✔️ First up. New game mats!
✔️ A refreshed visual identity
👀 And much more still to come. . .

Follow along this year as we unveil new additions throughout our 10-year celebration.

07/08/2026

Ten years ago, the CIAS K-12 Cyber Journey began with a simple idea: make cybersecurity education engaging, accessible, and fun for students.

It started with our flagship card game, Cyber Threat Defender. Today, that vision has grown into a comprehensive collection of learning resources, including elementary cybersecurity card games, digital games, the CyBear family, classroom activities, and more - all designed to inspire the next generation of cyber defenders.

This incredible milestone wouldn't have been possible without the unwavering commitment, vision, and generosity of our incredible sponsors and partners. Because of your support, we’ve been able to bridge gaps in K-12 education, spark curiosity in STEM, and build a stronger, more secure foundation for the future workforce.

We extend our sincere thanks to Booz Allen, CrowdStrike and GulaTech, whose combined $780,000 in support has helped expand the program's reach, as well as Air Force STEM, Lockheed Martin, Mitre, Air Force Association, and Rackspace Technology for their generous support over the years.

Because of these partnerships, thousands of educators and students have gained access to engaging cybersecurity learning resources at no cost to their classrooms.

To our sponsors, educators, and community members: thank you for being the force that shapes the future. 🤝

06/11/2026

The CIAS Community Cybersecurity Clinic (C4) is a proud member of The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics.

Today, we join our global network to celebrate five years of growth and impact: together, clinics are training more than 3,700 students and protecting 900 community organizations!

The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics has scaled up from a small group of five founding clinics into a global community of more than 60 clinics across eight countries and five continents!

What explains this phenomenal growth? Our unique model provides dual benefits: hands-on experiential learning for students in digital security and support for a wide range of organizations in need of stronger cyber defense.

We invite you to watch, like and share this new 2-minute video and consider how you can help grow this important work fueling cybersecurity as a public good.

Watch▶️ https://youtu.be/HEqQ4e9lQ3g?si=WQlcJuU0LdOMRJ4i



If you're interested in learning more about the CIAS' clinic, please visit https://cias.utsa.edu/c4/.

The year 2026 marks the 5th anniversary of the Consortium of Cybers...