If you’re a teenager who knows your way around a computer, the U.S. government wants your help. With hacking and cybercrimes a real threat to national security, a search is on for the best anti-hackers of the future. The annual CyberPatriot competition, which kicks off next month and involves 25,000 high school and middle school students, works like this: Teams are given the task of managing the computer network of a fictional company. They earn points for fixing weaknesses in the system that leave it vulnerable to hackers. The teams with the most points in their geographical regions move on to the finals in Baltimore in April. “Technology is advancing so rapidly,” says Diana Damenova, a senior captain of an all-female team at George C. Marshall High School in Falls Church, Virginia. “It’s important for everyone who uses a computer, who has an Instagram, or an email, or a Snapchat account to know how to be safe.”