UCF wins third consecutive National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

The University of Central Florida defeated a host of other cyber defense teams from across the country on Sunday to officially win the 2016 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC) for the third consecutive year.

The competition, sponsored by Raytheon, included 80 colleges and universities participating in regional competitions leading to this year’s national championship.

“Congratulations to the three-time champion, University of Central Florida,” David Wajsgras, president of Raytheon’s intelligence, information and services business, said. “As global networks face nearly constant attack, NCCDC is a perfect extension of Raytheon’s global Cyber Academy initiative, helping to develop the next generation of cyber defenders.”

Designed to test how well college students could operate and manage a network infrastructure similar to those found in the commercial sector, the NCCDC is an opportunity for exceptional students to interact with their peers and stakeholders in the cyber security industry.

Brigham Young University placed second in the competition and finished as the Rocky Mountain Regional Winner, while DePaul University placed third and finished as the Mid-West Regional Winner.

“Everyone recognizes we need to find and train more cyber professionals. Competitions absolutely help to meet that need,” Dwayne Williams, director of the NCCDC, said. “Across the nation, the competition gets harder and teams get better each year.”