News Release

Delaware Gov. John Carney and U.S. Sen. Tom Carper Recognize Annual U.S. Cyber Challenge Winners at WilmU-Dover

Cyber Camp Closes with Hackers' "Capture the Flag" Competition

After four long hours of intense competition, the winning team of the U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC) Delaware Capture-the-Flag (CTF) competition, teammates Krystian Bates, Patrick Mahoney, Alex Reuben and Hannah Tattan came out on top among a very talented group of elite hackers who attended this week’s USCC Delaware Cyber Camp. The annual event was hosted this year at Wilmington University and was supported by the State of Delaware, Delaware State University, the University of Delaware, and Delaware Technical Community College.

Following the competition, an award ceremony was held at the Dover Campus of Wilmington University to reward the winners of the CTF with scholarships from (ISC)² and the Center for Internet Security (CIS), and to recognize the participants who went through this week’s grueling, but rewarding, instruction and coursework to build the skill sets that will help advance their careers in cybersecurity. Federal officials in attendance included U.S. Senator Tom Carper and U.S. Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester. State of Delaware officials included Governor John Carney and CIO James Collins. Industry and education experts in attendance included Gary Wang, vice president of Cloud & Infrastructure at Unisys; Karen S. Evans, National Director of the USCC; Dr. Mark Hufe and Dr. Jim Wilson of Wilmington University.

“You’re going to have an opportunity to do good for our country and do well for yourself,” stated Senator Tom Carper during the award ceremony. “We need more cyber warriors!” Senator Carper has been a consistent advocate of the USCC program and the overarching mission to reduce the significant workforce gap seen nationwide in cybersecurity.

Camp participants qualified for the program based on their scores from the Cyber Quest competition (www.CyberQuests.org) in April. The Delaware Cyber Camp is supported in part through partnerships with Accenture, Amazon Web Services, the Association for Federal Information Resources Management (AFFIRM), Center for Cyber Safety & Education, Center for Internet Security (CIS), CenturyLink, Cyber Ninjas, Defense Point Security LLC, the Department of Homeland Security, Duo, (ISC)², Monster Government Solutions, NIC, SANS Institute, Sherman Consulting, and Unisys.

The 2018 Cyber Summer Camp Series features four week-long camps located in Delaware, Illinois, Nevada and Virginia. In line with the mission of USCC’s parent organization, the Center for Internet Security (www.CISecurity.org), the camps are an integral part in the mission to identify and develop cybersecurity talent in order to reduce the nation’s cybersecurity workforce gap and safeguard private and public organizations from cyber threats. Participants in USCC programming are encouraged to continue developing their skills and network with like-minded individuals by becoming active members in CyberCompEx.org, an online social community specifically for cybersecurity enthusiasts.

For more information about the Cyber Camp program and each of the specific camps, visit U.S. Cyber Challenge online at www.uscyberchallenge.org.

About U.S. Cyber Challenge

U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC) is a program supported by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate through a contract with the Center for Internet Security, a 501(c)3 organization, and has the mission to significantly reduce the shortage in the cyber workforce by serving as the premier program to identify, attract, recruit and place the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.  USCC’s goal is to find 10,000 of America’s best and brightest to fill the ranks of cybersecurity professionals where their skills can be of the greatest value to the nation.

About Wilmington University

Wilmington University is a private, nonprofit institution committed to providing career-oriented, traditional and online undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs. The Wilmington University difference starts with its flexible, year-round class schedules, full online learning capabilities, and one of the lowest tuition rates in the tri-state region. Combined with its intense focus on academic excellence and individualized attention to students in its degree and certificate programs, the WilmU difference is reflected in students' achievements and alumni successes.

Published: Monday, July 30, 2018 - New Castle, DE