UMUC Team Wins Third in National Cybersecurity Competition

To stop a hacker, you first have to think like one. Four cybersecurity students from UMUC took on that challenge earlier this summer as they spent two grueling 10-hour days working against the clock to infiltrate networks, exploit software, decrypt data and ultimately prove their cybersecurity expertise. The UMUC Cyber Padawans won third in the Capture the Flag Cyber Challenge, sponsored by MITRE Corporation.

The team, whose name is a nod to Jedi apprentices from "Star Wars," faced stiff competition, battling cyber warriors from 35 colleges and high schools across the country. The top five was rounded out by teams from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (first place), the University of South Florida (second place), Carnegie Mellon University (fourth place) and the Polytechnic Institute of New York University (fifth place).

Read more about the Padawans and how they earned points in the competition by hacking a simulated student records database to change grades.