For Immediate Release
Contact: Eric Brown, elbrown@tntech.edu, 931-372-3519
Cookeville, TN – The Cybersecurity Education, Research and Outreach Center (CEROC) at Tennessee Tech University is pleased to announce the 2nd place finish of the Tennessee Tech team at the 2018 Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition – Central Region held at Missouri University of Science and Technology October 5-7, 2018. Dakota State took 1st place. Among the other competitors in the field of six universities are Missouri University S&T, University of Texas – San Antonio, and Southern Methodist University. Both Dakota State and Tennessee Tech will move on to national competition to be held at the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY November 2-4, 2018.
As described by the organization, “The Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC) provides a vehicle for up and coming cybersecurity student teams to build and hone the skills required to effectively discover, triage, and mitigate critical security vulnerabilities. This competition is unique in offering a simulated environment that mimics real world networks. The competition focuses on improving the security posture of a fictitious organization and reporting on risks in a manner that is similar to a real professional environment.” The competition incorporates skillsets involving the use of technology, accurate communication, and effective collaboration.
Participating in this year’s team are Joe Bivens, Darren Cunningham, Connor Gannon, Max Layer, Sam Wehunt, and David Yantis. Joseph Cross, cybersecurity technologist with CEROC, served as the staff advisor. Darren Cunningham stated, “It was an incredible learning experience… exhausting, but a lot of fun.” Eric Brown, assistant director for CEROC, noted “This group is just another example of the high-quality, student professionals which enrich our center’s work. We are very proud of their accomplishments both in achievement and professional growth.”
CEROC (https://www.tntech.edu/ceroc) is a NSA-designated Center ofAcademic Excellence – Cyber Defense and a CyberCorps SFS participating school since December 2015. Located in the College of Engineering at Tennessee Tech, CEROC offers a wide variety of services and programs across the pillars of education, research and outreach. Dr. Ambareen Siraj is the founding director of the center who leads its education, research, and outreach activities. Dr. Siraj is also the founder of the Women in Cybersecurity conference and organization (https://www.wicys.org/).
More information about the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition can be found at https://nationalcptc.org.
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