New Jersey 7th Grader is the National Winner of the MS-ISAC Annual Kids Safe Online Poster Contest

April 12, 2016

East Greenbush, NY

Twelve Other Student State Winners Will Also Be Featured in the 2017 MS-ISAC Calendar

A New Jersey seventh grader has been named the national winner of the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) Annual Kids Safe Online Poster Contest. Ashley’s artwork will be featured on the cover of MS-ISAC’s 2017 Calendar. Twelve other state winners from the contest will also be featured in the calendar, which will be distributed nationally as part of National Cyber Security Awareness in October.

“Our youth need to embrace technology, but also be aware of how to use it safely and securely. Fortunately, they are immensely talented at educating their peers on the dangers of cyber bullying; the importance of strong passwords and other ways kids can keep safe and secure while using the Internet,” said Thomas Duffy, Chair of the MS-ISAC and Senior Vice President of Operations and Services. “My staff and I are continually amazed at the high quality of the posters we receive annually for this contest,” he added.

MS-ISAC is a part of the Center for Internet Security (CIS). Out of respect for the contestants’ safety, winners are only announced by their grade level and state by CIS.

For more information about the national winner, Ashley from New Jersey, media can contact:

Michael T. Vance | Cyber Liaison Officer
New Jersey Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Cell | NJCCIC
New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness
o: 609.963.6900 x7864 | m: 609.647.5600
Email: [email protected]

For other winners, media can contact:

Barbara Ware, CIS director of Communications at [email protected] or (518) 526 – 4525 who will forward them to the winners state contacts who can facilitate media coverage.

Complete list of 2016 Poster Contest Winners

  • Grade K-5
    • Yashanth, Grade K, New Jersey
    • Kayla, Grade 4, Delaware*
    • Ava, Grade 5, New York
    • Galen, Grade 5, Minnesota
    • Leona, Grade 5, Minnesota
    • Macey, Grade 5, South Dakota
  • Grade 6-8
    • Lily, Grade 6, Minnesota
    • Trevor, Grade 6, New York
    • Evan, Grade 7, New York
    • Ashley, Grade 7, New Jersey (National Winner) *
  • Grade 9-12
    • Chelsea, Grade 10, New York
    • Chris, Grade 11, Virginia*
    • Diana, Grade 12, New Jersey*

*The winners’ artwork will be turned into posters in addition to being featured in the 2017 MS-ISAC/CIS calendar.

Contest Details

The contest is open to all students in public and private schools, and youth organizations in kindergarten – 12th grade in all 50 United States, the District of Columbia, U.S. Territories, and U.S. and military installations in foreign nations. Schools designate one teacher or administrator to select the entries that are submitted. Home-schooled students submit entries directly to the MS-ISAC each year.

Each State, Local, Tribal or Territorial (SLTT) Government within in the U.S. is invited to conduct a poster contest within their jurisdiction and submit a total of fifteen entries per entity. Thirteen winners were selected. They will have their artwork in the MS-ISAC’s nationally distributed cybersecurity calendar. In addition, those with winning entries will be sent calendars and educational materials to promote cybersecurity within their school district.

About the MS-ISAC

The Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a division of The Center for Internet Security, is a voluntary and collaborative effort designated by the Department of Homeland Security as the key resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response and recovery for the nation’s State, Local, Tribal and Territorial governments. Through its state-of-the-art 24×7 Security Operations Center, the MS-ISAC serves as a central resource for situational awareness and incident response for SLTT government entities.

About CIS

CIS is a forward-thinking nonprofit entity that harnesses the power of the global IT community to safeguard private and public organizations against cyber threats. Our CIS Controls and CIS Benchmarks are global standards and recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data against the most pervasive attacks. These proven guidelines are continuously refined and verified by a volunteer global community of experienced IT professionals. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC®), the go-to resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for state, local, tribal, and territorial governments.