PNW students compete in Department of Energy’s CyberForce Competition
Students from Purdue University Northwest’s (PNW) College of Technology recently competed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) CyberForce Competition. The single day event was held at the Q Center in St. Charles, Illinois.
Students from PNW’s College of Technology recently competed in the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s CyberForce Competition. Pictured (from left to right) are Noah Ford, Kristian Kuna, Jack Morawski, David Higley, Muaaz Shad and Danielle Turner.
“It’s a fun experience,” says David Higley, a master’s degree student in Technology with a concentration in Computer Information Technology at PNW. “This competition gives students a real-world experience similar to what you’d encounter with an employer.”
Designed to provide students with an opportunity to increase their knowledge and understanding of cyber threats, vulnerabilities and consequences, the competition is run in a virtual environment using critical infrastructure-focused scenarios. The experience gives students a unique opportunity to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, use those skills in a simulated workplace environment and get a glimpse of the challenges corporate and government cybersecurity staff face on the job.
This competition gives students a real-world experience similar to what you’d encounter with an employer.
Prior to the competition, students were presented with several soft skill exercises. These exercises included writing security documentation, an inventory of the system, an analysis of its vulnerabilities and a video presentation of their findings.
“The main goal of the competition is for students to gain hands-on experience using their technical skills,” says Danielle Turner, a master’s degree student in Technology with a concentration in Computer Information Technology. “The secondary goal of the competition is to develop soft skills by creating reports and a presentation video. We had to be able to explain everything to C-suite executives in a professional manner and in layman’s terms.”
On the day of the competition, teams were given identical scenarios and tasked with securing the system of a fictional energy resource company, reporting and documenting their efforts, as well as being able to complete a normal workload for an eight-hour workday.
It really bridges the gap between classroom lessons and a real-life environment, making you a more well-rounded student.
Higley and Turner were part of PNW’s ten-person team that participated in this year’s competition. They both enjoyed the experience and noted they were able to combine classroom lessons with hands-on practice while also gaining new skills.
“In a classroom setting, you learn principles, technologies and concepts,” says Turner, a Valparaiso native. “In this competition, you do actual vulnerability testing and ethical hacking. It really bridges the gap between classroom lessons and a real-life environment, making you a more well-rounded student.”
“The classroom education is great at helping you understand and familiarize yourself with the different IT principles,” says Higley, a native of Dyer. “But CyberForce gives you experience using those principles which is helpful when interviewing with an employer.”