The Cybersecurity Club at Utica University competed in the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) regionals in Rhode Island on March 14 and 15, marking the team’s first-ever appearance at this stage of the competition. 

This event, known for its intense, real-world simulation of network defense, tested the team’s abilities to protect and manage an existing network infrastructure while facing numerous cyber-attacks from the red team. Utica’s team performed exceptionally well in the preliminary round; however, as the competition progressed more challenges arose. 

Nolan Flynn, a junior in the cybersecurity program, said he was unprepared going into the competition but now knows what he needs to work on for future competitions. 

“I went into CCDC blind, meaning I didn’t prep anything, no scripts and no studying,” Flynn said. “I had no knowledge which to help aid me before the competition started like the other teams which go to CCDC year after year. As a first time going through CCDC, there are a lot of changes on how I will be addressing cyber security incidents.”

In contrast, John Hrustich, a senior cyber security student, was more prepared because of  previous experiences in other cybersecurity competitions.

“Preparation included attending other competitions including Hivestorm and CNY Hackathon,” Hrustrich said. “These events gave the team members experience with applying their learned skills in practical applications. Additionally, through several team meetings and practices, we decided who would be assigned to what task or objective and practiced using those services or systems.”

For Chase Dobbertin, a fourth-year student at Utica and the club’s advisor, he felt that the Utica University cyber team performed great despite the circumstances.

“We were speaking to one of our moderators after the competition, Aiden, and he really put things into perspective for us,” Dobbertin said. “He said that almost all of the other teams at CCDC this year were repeats and knew exactly what to expect during the competition. He also stated that we were doing better than all of the other teams he had moderated before us, which was very impressive.”

Although this was a challenging competition, members of the cybersecurity team enjoyed themselves despite the numerous days they spent hacking away at this competition.

“We also had a lot of fun,” Hrustich said. “This group of students has been working together for the better part of this year and had a great experience and made some great connections.”