Recently our GW team of six cybersecurity bachelor’s degree students participated in a hands-on learning experience to help them be ready for the real challenges and unknown dangers they will face in their future careers.
The team participated in the invitation-only Commonwealth Cyber Fusion 2024 competition, held February 23-24, 2024 at Virginia Military Institute (VMI), open only to the Virginia community colleges and universities that are NSA/NHS designated National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Security (NCAE).
"Cybersecurity is not just a priority; it's an imperative, not only for the Commonwealth of Virginia, but for our nation as a whole. To maintain our standing in an ever-changing threat environment, it is crucial to cultivate a robust talent pipeline. Cyber Fusion, with its integrated approach to problem solving, provides an opportunity for future cyber-defenders to demonstrate their skill-set."
Dr. Scott White
Program Director, Cybersecurity BPS program
VMI co-hosted the two-day event with Honorary Chair Senator Mark R. Warner, the Commonwealth Cyber Initiative and the Virginia Cyber Range. The yearly event is attended by about 150 competitors and alternate team members, plus their instructors and advisors, and includes a job fair, speakers and panels, networking opportunities and a capture-the-flag style cyber competition.
This year the GW CPS Cybersecurity program team of six members included Kevin Terral, Logan Bennett, Paulius Matiukas, David Vick, Edward Costine and Bruce Skillern.
During the Virginia Cyber Cup Capture the Flag competition, GW’s team competed against 20 other teams to tackle problems in scenarios designed to model real-world computer security challenges across a range of categories that included cryptography, network traffic analysis, reverse engineering, steganography and more.
"Since cybersecurity encompasses a broad field of specialized skills, competitions such as these allow students to understand their strengths and weaknesses from different perspectives. Collaboration was a key element in Cyber Fusion, which taught us how to work as a team since not one person knows everything. For most technical competitors, this takes them out of their comfort zone and expands their comprehension on how cybersecurity divisions practically operate, developing a holistic view of the industry."
Logan Bennett
Cybersecurity BPS Student Participating in the Competition
