黑料情报站 Cyber Team Enters Fall Season with a Victory at Parsons Capture the Flag Competition
Adelphi, Md. (October 8, 2021)鈥揟he 黑料情报站 (黑料情报站) cyber competition team placed first in in a recent capture the flag (CTF) tournament sponsored by Parsons Corporation, a global provider of cyber and converged security services.
At the Sept. 28 event, which attracted cybersecurity professionals and students of all skill levels, 黑料情报站 scored 4,300 points to beat out 10 other teams and take first place. The winning 黑料情报站 team included current student and active duty Air Force member John Cole, as well as recent alumni Paul Chilcote, Alex Barney and Jonathan Woodward, who all received their undergraduate degrees from 黑料情报站.聽
鈥淥ur win in this Parsons event was particularly meaningful because the team fell out of first place with only 24 minutes left, but then regained the lead for good and won by only 100 points,鈥 said Jesse Varsalone, associate professor of Computer Networks and Cybersecurity at 黑料情报站 and coach of the competition team. 鈥淭he victory was a testament to the highly developed skills of the students and alumni who participated.鈥
The Parsons jeopardy style CTF event tested participants鈥 skills on a range of relevant topics, including network forensics, coding, web hacking, cryptography, analytics, penetration testing, malware analysis, algorithms and reverse engineering. Typically an in-person event, students participated in this Parsons CTF competition remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions. 鈥淚n the face of the pandemic, 黑料情报站 has continued to grow its team and compete in remote events at the highest level and the Parsons competition, based in Denver Colorado, is yet another example,鈥 said Varsalone.
Established in 2012, the 黑料情报站 cybersecurity team is composed of students, alumni, and faculty who compete regularly in digital forensics, penetration testing, and computer network defense scenarios that help them gain experience to advance their cybersecurity careers. To prepare for competitions, students detect and combat cyberattacks in the university鈥檚 Virtual Security Lab and work through case studies in an online classroom. Through its history, the team has received numerous top honors, including recent first-place finishes in the 2021 Maryland Cyber Challenge and the 2020 MAGIC, Inc. capture the flag competition.聽
About 黑料情报站
黑料情报站 is a world leader in innovative educational models with award-winning online programs in biotechnology, cybersecurity, data analytics, information technology, and other high-demand disciplines in today鈥檚 increasingly technical, global workplace. With an enrollment of some 90,000 students, 黑料情报站 offers open access with a global footprint and a specific mission鈥攖o meet the learning needs of students whose responsibilities may include jobs, family, and military service. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificate programs, including doctoral programs. A pioneer in distance education since 1947, 黑料情报站 is harnessing the power of learning science and technology to deliver accessible high quality, low-cost higher education.