National cyber defense competition to take place at Alexandria Technical College

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Minnesota college students, including a team from Alexandria Technical College, will be participating in the third annual Minnesota National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

The competition provides competitors a rare opportunity to solve the growing “real-world” cyber defense threats being posed daily by criminals, terrorists and hackers.

The three-day competition features cyber defense teams from five colleges in Minnesota. It is hosted by Alexandria Technical College and sponsored by the Center for Strategic Information Technology and Security as well as several prominent companies: Adventium Labs, NetSpi, and Midwave.

Colleges participating in the inaugural event are Alexandria Technical College, Inver Hills Community College, Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College (Detroit Lakes), and St. Cloud State University.

The event kicks-off with an opening ceremony at 7 p.m. on Friday, February 27 and runs through Sunday, March 1.

“Unlike traditional ‘hack and defend’ contests, this competition simulates realistic corporate administration and security experiences – giving these college competitors a chance to test their education and training against peers and the real-world challenges,” said Bruce Lindberg, executive director, Center for Strategic Information and Technology.

The event requires student teams to operate and defend a simulated e-commerce business against various real-world cyber threats initiated by the “red team,” which is comprised of security professionals from the regional business community who are experts in cyber security threats.

Organizers say the event features a controlled, competitive environment that:

•Provides a meaningful forum for institutions to evaluate their academic programs.

•Gives students an opportunity to apply the theory and skills they’ve acquired.

•Fosters teamwork, ethical behavior, and effective communication.

•Creates dialog among participating institutions, students, and sponsoring organizations.

The event also includes presentations by corporate sponsors on cyber crime and business information assurance and security. Information on job opportunities in cyber defense careers will also be available.

“The competition is an excellent example of how higher education and business and industry can collaborate, which benefits students, companies and our local economy, and underscores the major purpose of the Center,” according to Lindberg. “It also promotes interest in education and careers in the field of cyber security, which are critical to business and homeland security.”

The winning Minnesota collegiate cyber defense competition team will be invited to participate in the 2009 Midwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, hosted by Inver Hills Community College on March 27-29. The winner of that contest will compete at the 2009 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition held at the University of Texas-San Antonio in April.

Tags: cyber, defense, competition, alexandria, technical, college