The Cyber Edge Writing Award Welcomes Submissions for 2025 Contest
AFCEA International’s The Cyber Edge Writing Award contest is now open for submissions. Each year, SIGNAL Media invites thought leaders from industry, academia, government and military backgrounds to address a theme within the cyber domain and share their knowledge with AFCEA’s audience.
The theme for the 2025 contest is Cyber Defense for Critical Infrastructure. Since news broke that Volt Typhoon, a criminal hacker group backed by the Chinese Communist Party, has been infiltrating U.S. critical infrastructure networks for the past five years, experts have said that an even larger threat to cybersecurity could be on the horizon. SIGNAL Media is challenging thought leaders to consider this threat and provide convincing solutions.
The panel of industry experts who review the submissions are looking for articles that not only explain the extent of the threat but offer unique suggestions for strengthening critical infrastructure defense and plans for implementation. Whether the articles touch on emerging technologies, training, tactics, techniques, procedures, policies or partnerships, authors should also recognize challenges to implementing solutions and recommendations for overcoming those obstacles.
Through this writing contest, authors have a chance to influence how nations secure their cyber domains. SIGNAL Media Editor-in-Chief George Seffers has been reviewing submitted contest articles since 2020 when The Cyber Edge Writing Award first came to be.
“Part of the AFCEA and SIGNAL Media mission is to foster dialogue and to share information, insights and solutions, and The Cyber Edge Writing Award is an excellent way to accomplish that,” Seffers said. “Whether you’re an Army private first class, a government GS-15, an industry CEO or a university Ph.D., this is an opportunity to share your ideas and knowledge that may help others in the cyber arena accomplish their missions.”
ManTech, a defense contracting firm, has been the supporting partner for this writing contest since it began. David Hathaway, Mantech’s Defense Sector president, said the company is happy to sponsor The Cyber Edge Writing Award for the fifth year in a row.
“We proudly sponsor AFCEA’s annual The Cyber Edge Writing Contest because it celebrates the latest in cybersecurity innovation and cyber thought leadership—something that we deliver on every day serving our defense clients' mission needs," Hathaway said.
As per contest guidelines, the submissions should be between 1,200 to 1,600 words, follow a news writing style, not include footnotes or references, and not have been previously published. AFCEA employees and immediate family members, as well as ManTech employees, are not eligible for this competition.
The top three authors will get their pieces published by SIGNAL Media. First place will receive $5,000; second place will receive $2,000; and third place will receive $1,000. Winning articles with more than one author will receive one prize.
The deadline for submissions is February 7, 2025.
Those interested in submitting articles for the 2025 Cyber Edge Writing Award contest can find more information online, read work from past winners and enter the competition here.
