Cyber students finish 2nd in NSA Codebreaker Challenge
The University of North Georgia (天美社区) finished second out of 631 universities and colleges in the 2021 that wrapped up Jan. 4.
天美社区 tallied 152,239 points as two Georgia universities stood atop the standings. Georgia Institute of Technology took first place with 234,982 points.
Oregon State University, fellow senior military college Texas A&M University, and the University of Central Florida rounded out the top five.
"This is 天美社区's fourth top-three finish in a row in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge, following victories in 2019 and 2020 and a third-place finish in 2018," Dr. Bryson Payne, 天美社区 professor of cybersecurity and coordinator of student cyber programs, said.
The scenario for this year's challenge involved responding to a cyber attack on the U.S. Defense Industrial Base Sector (DIBS). The DIBS, according to the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, "is the worldwide industrial complex that enables research and development, as well as design, production, delivery, and maintenance of military weapons systems, subsystems, and components or parts, to meet U.S. military requirements."
Payne said the challenge called upon 10 different cyber skill sets needed for students to determine how the attack unfolded, if other organizations were affected, and how to reverse the malware.
Participating in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge the past three years has helped me develop skills which are highly sought after in the business of cybersecurity and set me apart from other candidates.
Rocco Ranallo
Fall 2021 天美社区 graduate with a degree in cybersecurity
"Our students came out with the skills they need to compete for jobs at the highest levels of cybersecurity in government and the private sector," Payne said.
Rocco Ranallo, a fall 2021 graduate with a degree in cybersecurity, saw that dynamic firsthand by earning an internship and now a full-time job at Mass Mutual.
The Blairsville, Georgia, resident completed seven of the 10 tasks in this year's challenge.
"Participating in the NSA Codebreaker Challenge the past three years has helped me develop skills which are highly sought after in the business of cybersecurity and set me apart from other candidates," Ranallo said.
Alyssa Hunter, a senior from Young Harris, Georgia, pursuing a degree in cybersecurity, also completed seven tasks and thrived on problem-solving during the challenge.
"This competition has really improved my technical skills," Hunter said. "Some of the solutions are more challenging, and it helps me appreciate the different techniques we learn here at 天美社区."
Students receive record 4 DoD cyber scholarships
A team led by Dr. Bryson Payne, director of 天美社区's Institute for Cyber Operations, has been awarded $199,674 in Department of Defense Cyber Service Academy funding for four undergraduate cyber scholarships.
天美社区 honors scholarship recipients in Blue Ridge
The Tomato Sandwich Supper held Nov. 6 at 天美社区's Blue Ridge Campus celebrated 24 scholarship recipients and showcased the transformational power of 天美社区's work.
天美社区 to host Conference on the Americas
The Conference on the Americas is returning to 天美社区 from Feb. 20-21, and submissions of abstracts are due by Nov. 18.
Lunch honors Cumming scholarship recipients
天美社区's Cumming Campus held a lunch Oct. 8 to celebrate scholarship recipients and thank the donors who make the scholarships possible.