OCC Cybersecurity students recently traveled across cyberspace to compete in a national competition. The experience was well worth it as they left their mark among the top 10-percent against 400 other teams from colleges and universities nationwide.
The group raced against the clock to remove malware and other infections, correct misconfigurations, mitigate vulnerabilities and disable vulnerable services. They accumulated as many points as they could competing on Windows and Linux-based virtual machines in the Hivestorm collegiate-focused cyber-defense competition.
Representing OCC were Cybersecurity students Braden Cooper, Lorenzo Fava, James Gearty, Tair Karanfili, Ted Ross and Richard Swartwood.
Hany Othman, PhD., OCC Computer Information Systems Program Director explained the Hivestorm competition provides an excellent platform for students to demonstrate their skills in a range of cybersecurity challenges, from threat analysis to ethical hacking.
“Our students’ performance is a testament to their hard work, commitment and the strong cybersecurity curriculum we offer here,” he said.
Students who participated in the competition shared Dr. Othman’s sentiments.
“We went way beyond our expectations as a team and we hope to have similar performances going into more competitions," Karanfili said.
OCC students also traveled to Chicago to compete in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Cyberforce Competition®. The competition provided energy-focused activities centered on cybersecurity methods, practices, strategy, policy and ethics all while defending their network against cyber-attacks.
Dr. Othman said he is incredibly proud of his students for their achievement.
“It’s a true reflection of their dedication and the high caliber of students we are fortunate to have in our program,” he added. “I’m confident that this success will serve as a springboard for even greater opportunities in the future.”
To learn more about OCC’s program, visit Cybersecurity.
About OCC
Oakland Community College offers more than 80 degrees and certificates programs with the resources students need to be successful and advance our community. As a top transfer institution, OCC offers one of the state’s most affordable tuition rates and flexibility in scheduling. The College is nationally recognized for its high-demand career training and expert faculty in their fields. More than 1 million students have enrolled in the College since it opened in 1965. Learn more at oakland.edu.
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