Academics

Penn State IST students ready for finals of National Cyber Analyst Challenge

A team of five students from the College of Information Sciences and Technology will complete in the finals of the National Cyber Analyst Challenge, Oct. 27-28. Credit: National Cyber Analyst ChallengeAll Rights Reserved.

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s Competitive Cyber Security Organization (CCSO), a collection of students from the College of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), has advanced to the finals of the National Cyber Analyst Challenge (NCAC), set for Oct. 27-28 in Reston, Virginia. The competition identifies the best students pursuing cyber-related degrees in the country through a three-phased interdisciplinary competition.

Powered by Leidos and administered by Temple University’s Institute for Business and Information Technology, the three-month competition supports the development of students pursuing careers in cybersecurity. After completing Phase I, which focused on analysis of cyber data from an advanced persistent threat (APT), and Phase II, which consisted of several remote training sessions with Leidos technical experts, Penn State will join nine other university teams to compete in the finals.

The five-person Penn State team, consisting of IST students George Beatty, Matt Kennedy, Christopher Masden, Brian McMullen, and Alyssa Stackpole, analyzed approximately 26 GB of cyber data. The data contained evidence of an APT, an outside source that gains access to a network and stays undetected for a long period of time, while stealing data and information.

“The scenarios given to us in competition are intended to mimic real-life problems and situations. These competitions get you thinking about problems on the enterprise level and help you get an idea of what areas to focus on academically,” said George Beatty, senior majoring in both IST and security and risk analysis (SRA).

Nicklaus Giacobe, research associate and lecturer in IST, and CCSO adviser, said that not only is the competition good for the team to practice and learn, but it is also a direct recruiting opportunity for cybersecurity positions.

“Cyber competitions, like the NCAC, give students a chance to pull together what they have learned from the classroom and on their own. It helps them show their capabilities to potential employers, and frankly, even to themselves,” Giacobe said. “For the College of IST, since the challenges are designed with input from industry, we get some insight into the expected skills and capabilities that they expect from our graduates.”

Christopher Masden, the Penn State’s NCAC team leader and a senior SRA major, said that the team is essential because members have different skill sets and offer different perspectives. Their goal is to do their best and to put Penn State on the map.

“There are many employers that attend these competitions in the hopes of recruiting, and we want to show those employers that Penn State is an excellent school for cybersecurity,” Masden said.

“[These competitions] allow me to use my natural competitiveness as motivation to develop myself outside the classroom,” Beatty added. “Competitions have been an integral part of my education. I'm invested in this club to be able to share that with others.”

The CCSO educates its members on current cybersecurity methods and teaches them to master safe computing practices, along with regularly competing in cyber challenges throughout the school year. The organization plans to compete in the National Cyber League Competition, Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition, and the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in the coming year.

“NCAC is very beneficial because it's a scenario in which a team has to show how they can apply theory taught in classes to real-world skills and analysis that employers want to see. I can say that I received a full-time job offer in a field I didn't know existed because of my involvement with competitions and the skills that I've learned from them,” Masden said.

The team received a $12,000 award to participate in the final of the 2016 National Cyber Analyst Challenge. In the finals, the winning team will be selected by a panel of industry experts and will receive $25,000. The group has also been invited by Penn State President Eric Barron to the Nov. 5 President’s Tailgate prior to the Penn State-Iowa football game to demonstrate their talents.

Last Updated October 19, 2016