A Team With a Dream of University of Central Florida was the national winner of DoE’s eighth CyberForce Competition, held Nov. 5. The event, led by DoE’s Argonne National Laboratory, challenged 144 U.S. college and university teams from 35 states and Puerto Rico to thwart a simulated cyberattack.
“Preparing the next generation of cyber professionals to meet the unique challenges faced by the energy sector is critically important to our future security and resilience as a nation,” said David Turk, Deputy Secretary of Energy.
The need for skilled cybersecurity professionals is huge. The most recent reports from ISACA show the number of cyberattacks and threat actors remains steady – or is increasing – even as awareness of the importance of cybersecurity is rising.
More than 60 percent of organizations who responded to ISACA’s State of Cybersecurity 2021 survey said their cybersecurity teams were understaffed, and 55 percent have unfilled positions. Data breaches, email security pressures and the growing Internet of Things make it more important than ever that a knowledgeable workforce can fill entry-level or senior positions.
“The CyberForce Competition really dives into the operational technology component of security, such as an energy grid or a water system, that traditional educational systems don’t necessarily teach in their core curriculum,” said Amanda Theel, CyberForce Program director and cybersecurity workforce development group lead at Argonne. “What I love about this program is that it is a competition, but when you’re in the actual room while the students compete, there is tremendous growth in knowledge and incomparable ‘ah-ha’ moments. Honestly, it’s incredible to watch and cheer them on in a unique learning process.”
In this year’s scenario, competitors were introduced to the fiercely competitive world of an electric vehicle manufacturer trying to gain market advantage. The company acquired several virtual infrastructures in the solar power and charging market, but the installations appeared compromised. Students needed to conduct a thorough assessment of vulnerabilities and proposed a series of innovations to protect and strengthen the manufacturer’s interests against existing and future cyberattacks.
UCF’s A Team With a Dream was the national winner of the eighth CyberForce Competition. The competition develops cyber defenders capable of safeguarding the nation’s critical energy sector.
Source: Argonne National Laboratory/Kenneth Kass
Winners of the 2022 CyberForce Competition are:
- First place: A Team With a Dream, University of Central Florida
- Second place: The Borg Collective, University of Central Florida
- Third place: Cyber Lions, Penn State University
Click here to learn more about the CyberForce Program.