The University of Tulsa placed second among 18 teams at the Southwest Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition March 24-26 on the TU campus. The event tests the ability of cyber security students to operate and manage a network infrastructure similar to networks found in the commercial sector. Students are challenged to secure a network and maintain operations while keeping up with management and customer demands in a fast-paced environment. The simulation represents scenarios they will face as professionals in their cyber careers.
This was the third and final year for computer science graduate student Thomas Shaw to compete on the TU team. He said practicing and competing helps students develop new strategies they can use in the real world.
“My future career involves working with critical infrastructure where nothing is permitted to go wrong, and CCDC has provided me with an excellent set of skills for working in such an environment,” Shaw said. “I have not only improved my technical skills, but also learned a lot about working and coordinating with a team while under extreme pressure.”
Other TU team members included faculty sponsor and assistant professor of computer information systems Sal Aurigemma, computer information systems junior Michaela Conn, computer science graduate student Kyle Cook, computer science graduate student J.T. Hamrick, computer science senior Michael Kinealy, computer science sophomore Michael (Tabor) Kvasnicka, computer information systems junior Mallory Powers and computer science sophomore Shay Taylor.
This was the third year for TU to host the regional CCDC event. Sponsors included Raytheon, Wal-Mart InfoSec, paloalto Networks, APPDYNAMICS, Air Force Civilian Service, Phillips66, TRUE and QuikTrip.