The fourth annual Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition (PCDC), hosted by the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center (SSC) Atlantic in collaboration with the chapter was held in April at Trident Technical College in North Charleston, South Carolina. The goal of the PCDC is to energize South Carolina high school and collegiate students to focus on the development of technical skills in networking and cybersecurity.
To emphasize the importance of growing the cyber workforce, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley appeared to talk to the high school competitors and connect the competition activities to real-life cyber attacks on state agencies. “We need you to care about cyber security because it is real,” the governor said.
Capt. Scott Heller, commanding officer of SSC Atlantic, also noted that PCDC “is a great opportunity to build on the vast cyber and military assets here in the Low Country and to attract the next generation of cyber professionals.”
Eight high school teams that had prequalified through Cyber Patriot, along with eight college teams, battled Red Team hackers trying to penetrate their medical supply distribution business networks. They had to maintain network availability and configure/protect their network against threats. Winning team members each received a $500 scholarship.
South Carolina high school students competed with returning Palmetto Scholars Academy taking first place. Porter-Gaud School earned second and third went to Stratford High School. Max Harley of Porter-Gaud was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP), receiving a $1,000 award. Other high schools competing were Ashley Ridge, Blythewood, Home School Network, South Aiken and Wando.
One theme resonating across the teams was the appreciation of the challenge. Anderson Reese from Home School Network said, “It was exhilarating to have a live environment; its different from anything we've experienced.”
Clemson University took first place, University of South Carolina second and The Citadel third in the collegiate competition. Clemson's MacKenzie Binns earned MVP, receiving a $1,000 scholarship. Charleston Southern University, College of Charleston, ECPI University, South Carolina State University and Trident Technical College also competed in the event. “We loved the experience and environment,” said Meagin Arrocha of Charleston Southern University. “We want to give back and help in the competition next year.”
A “Pro Day” training challenge for government and industry professional teams was held on the final day. Government teams were Cyber National Mission Force, Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command, North Carolina National Guard and the South Carolina National Guard. Industry teams were CSRA Inc., Scientific Research Corporation, SCANA Energy and a joint team from Adapt Forward LLC and CACI International. In keeping with the STEM goals of PCDC, two collegiate students were embedded within each pro team.
A Cyber Forensics Challenge was also held. Participants solved as many forensics scenarios as possible. Hourly leaders received prizes and overall winner, Lance Alt, received a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. The South Carolina National Guard presented several cybersecurity lectures, including Cyber Legal Policies, Welcome to Cyber and Open-Source Cyber Tools.
Video highlights can be found at http://www.live5news.com/clip/12351828/video-palmetto-cyber-defense-competition-prepares-students-for-careers |
