Academy cyber competition team takes 1st at NYU event

News > Academy cyber competition team takes 1st at NYU event

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Cadets on the Air Force Academy's cyber competition team discuss buffer overflow exploits during a team meeting in the Academy's Cyberwarfare Lab Oct. 3, 2011. The team won a "capture the flag" cyber competition held by New York Polytechnic Sept. 28-30, 2012. Cadet 1st Class Nathan Hart (second from right) is the 2012 cyber competition team captain.
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Academy cyber competition team takes 1st at NYU event

Posted 10/11/2012 Updated 10/11/2012

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10/11/2012 - U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Air Force Academy's Cyber Competition Team placed first of 331 undergraduate teams from the United States and Canada in the New York Polytechnic Cyber Security Awareness Week Capture the Flag competition held Sept. 28-30, NYU Poly announced Oct. 10.

The Academy's team placed eighth among all teams worldwide, including teams of graduate students and industry professionals.

The Academy team was the only team to solve all 32 challenges presented at the competition, said Col. David Gibson, permanent professor and head of the Academy's Computer Science Department.

The Air Force Academy team consists of Cadets 1st Class Nathan Hart (team captain), Frank Adkins, Josh Christman, Luke Jones and Mike Winstead; Cadets 2nd Class Sam Kiekhaefer, Chase King, Keane Lucas, Chad Speer and Ryan Zacher; and Cadets 3rd Class Erick Bonick, Zach Madison, Evan Richter and Clay West.

Teams from the U.S. Military Academy and U.S. Naval Academy placed 14th and 41st, respectively, Gibson said.

The NYU Poly Capture the Flag competition is a challenge-based competition centered around solving technical security challenges to find flags and submit them for points. The competition consists of challenges in categories from all areas of computer security.

"This country is facing a critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals. Events like Cyber Security Awareness Week are a valuable tool for nurturing talent and building one of the most important workforces of the future," said Nasir Memon, founder of Cyber Security Awareness Week and director of NYU Poly's cyber security program, in a statement from the university Oct. 10.

Comments

10/12/2012 9:47:08 AM ET
Ending statement states 'This country is facing a critical shortage of cybersecurity professionals.' Well not really there just in hiding. The ones that cant be found are usually very good at what they do. They may not meet armed forces requirements. But if you want more and better youre going to have to start giving them an chance based on merit. Because Im sure some of them wouldnt make through basic and a recruiter would laugh them out of their office.

Brandon, Midwest

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