News
Lewis University Wins DOE’s 2018 Cyber Defense Competition
April 2018 by Marc Jacob
Over the weekend, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) hosted its
third annual Cyber Defense Competition (CDC) at Argonne, Pacific Northwest, and Oak
Ridge National Laboratories. Held across these labs simultaneously, 25 teams of
university students fought to defend their cyber networks from simulated attacks
launched by experts in the cyber field. After fierce competition, Devon Streit,
DOE’s Deputy Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure Security and Energy
Restoration announced that Lewis University bested the other teams, winning the 2018
CDC.
“Competition breeds excellence. It brings out the best in us. And when America’s
cyber experts are challenging one another on the virtual battlefield, we all win,"
said Secretary of Energy Rick Perry as he kicked off the contest via video message.
"There is perhaps nothing more essential to America’s national and economic
security than its energy supply. The Department of Energy plays a vital role in
protecting that supply, and as Secretary, it is my number one priority.”
The CDC is sponsored by DOE’s Infrastructure Security and Energy Restoration
(ISER) and brings students in computer science and engineering together in a
competitive training simulation where student teams first build a complex network
infrastructure, and then work to defend it against cyberattacks launched by industry
professionals. Each student team consisted of up to 6 students, ranging from
freshmen to Ph.D. candidates.
Now in its third year, the DOE CDC event matches mission-critical science with
real-world training and education in an area that is a particular strength for
national labs.
When asked what the team members wanted to do after graduation, all of them
expressed interest in pursuing careers in cybersecurity, whether pursuing an
advanced degree in the field, or working in cyber research at one of the national
labs. And with unfilled cybersecurity careers estimated to top 1.5 million by 2019,
it is evident that the industry is waiting for them.
With the ever-increasing amount of technology that relies on and is accessible via
the internet, cybersecurity is, and must remain, a high priority for our Nation.
Through cyber defense competitions like CDC, DOE works to increase hands-on cyber
education, increase awareness of critical infrastructure security issues, and train
the next generation of cybersecurity experts.
“Mixing hands-on interactive cybersecurity learning, introductions to experts from
the national laboratories, knowledge of critical infrastructure challenges in the
United States, and a drive to compete is what makes the Cyber Defense Competition so
successful in building our future workforce,” said AnneMarie Horowitz, DOE’s
Director of STEM Rising. “STEM-ready students are more important than ever to the
future of our national security and innovation in this country. The Cyber Defense
Competition is one of many pathways the Department of Energy is developing to
prepare our country’s top talent of tomorrow.”
Winners of DOE’s Cyber Defense Challenge included:
Overall nationwide winner:
Lewis University, Romeoville, IL
From Argonne National Laboratory:
1st Place - University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL
2nd Place - Iowa State University, Ames, IA
From Pacific Northwest National Laboratory:
1st Place - Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
2nd Place - University of Idaho, Moscow, ID
From Oak Ridge National Laboratory:
1st Place - University of Memphis, Memphis, TN
2nd Place - University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL
