Tennessee Tech University’s Cybersecurity Education and Research Outreach Center (CEROC) made headlines this month after taking second place within the aggressive Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) qualifiers. With a complete of 36 groups vying for prime honors, the college’s workforce displayed distinctive talent and dedication to earn a spot on the regional championships to be held at Kennedy Space Center in March 2024.
Careful preparation and technique pays off
CCDC just isn’t for the faint of coronary heart. It simulates the high-pressure setting of defending a industrial community for skilled penetration testers, with groups divided into “Blue” for protection and “Red” for assault. The Tennessee Tech workforce demonstrated unparalleled technical experience and down to earth considering on the CEROC Cyber Range below the steerage of his engineers Jeremy Potts and Travis Lee. The means to shortly handle vulnerabilities, preserve important providers, and thwart incoming assaults contributed to the corporate’s success. “This competitors is like steering a ship via an unrelenting storm,” mentioned Potts, summarizing the problem and thrill of the competitors.
A legacy of nice cybersecurity
Tennessee Technological University has lengthy been on the forefront of cybersecurity schooling and analysis. The University’s dedication is evidenced by its choice by the National Security Agency and National Science Foundation as Tennessee’s unique GenCyber campsite in 2023. It additionally boasts his Cyber Corps Scholarship for Service (SFS) program, the primary and largest within the state. These honors, coupled with recognition as a middle of educational excellence in cybersecurity, spotlight the establishment’s function in shaping the way forward for cyber protection. Through initiatives such because the Golden Eagle Cyber Certificate and his complete Ok-20 schooling program, CEROC is making nice strides in expertise growth and innovation within the cybersecurity area.
Looking forward: Regional Championships
The help and enthusiasm from the Tennessee Tech neighborhood is obvious because the workforce prepares for regional competitors. Eric Brown, CEROC’s Associate Director of Workforce Development, expressed delight in his workforce’s accomplishments and the continued contributions of his broader student-led cyber neighborhood. The subsequent occasion at Kennedy Space Center is greater than only a contest. This is a platform the place these proficient college students can additional hone their abilities, collaborate, and probably safe their place because the nation’s prime cybersecurity professionals.
The Tennessee Tech CEROC workforce’s path to the regional championship is greater than a testomony to their technical means. This is a beacon of inspiration for aspiring cybersecurity professionals. Their success highlights the significance of sensible, aggressive experiences in schooling, getting ready the following technology to guard in opposition to the ever-evolving threats of the digital world. In preparation for the challenges forward, the workforce’s journey from qualifying to Kennedy Space Center serves as a compelling story of ambition, preparation, and the relentless pursuit of excellence.