The University of Central Florida competed against nine other student-led teams to become the champion of the 2022 National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC), presented in partnership with Raytheon Intelligence & Space, a Raytheon Technologies business.

More than 1,500 competitors from 171 schools nationwide participated in the 17th annual NCCDC, held in San Antonio from April 21-23. 

Organized by the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security (CIAS) at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA, this year’s NCCDC tasked competitors with managing, operating and defending the network infrastructure of a brick-and-mortar gaming retailer that has evolved into an online gaming provider while fending off a group of live Red Team hackers. 

The competition also provided competitors access to cybersecurity professionals from Raytheon Technologies, CIAS, UTSA and more. This year, Raytheon Intelligence & Space appointed nearly three dozen employee volunteers to work closely with participating competitors to help secure their virtual networks and provide mentorship.

As winners of the 2022 NCCDC, the University of Central Florida brings home the coveted Alamo Cup trophy. This is the second consecutive year that the University of Central Florida has won the competition. Additionally, Dakota State University placed second, and Stanford University came third during this year’s competition.

“Whether held virtually or in-person, Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) events provide a valuable and unique educational experience that helps students develop the cybersecurity skills our country urgently needs,” said Dwayne Williams, director of NCCDC and associate director at CIAS. “Training the next generation of cyber professionals is critical, and we have to continue to find ways to ensure that happens.”

More information on NCCDC, including how organizations or universities can get involved in the competition, can be found at https://www.nationalccdc.org/.