Challenge Looks for Best Cybersecurity Team in Higher Ed
The majority of IT professionals may view their own skills with uncertainty, but an online competition seeks to find the best cybersecurity team in higher education.
Cybersecurity company Symantec is kicking off the Higher Ed Cyber Challenge 2017 on Oct. 19. Campus IT and security staff can form up to three teams of four to participate in the free event, where IT professionals will have the opportunity to develop and strengthen their skills while earning continuing education credits, according to the competition page.
Teams will “walk in an adversary’s footsteps to understand motivations” through Symantec-developed virtual simulations that focus on real-world situations. In addition, the competition covers the five stages of a cyber attack: reconnaissance, incursion, discovery, capture and exfiltration.
The event will take place Oct. 19 at 8 a.m. EST and end on Oct. 20 at 5 p.m. EST. Winners will receive recognition at the upcoming Educase Annual Conference (Oct. 31-Nov. 3).
Educause Review recently wrote that higher ed organizations are often blindsided by cyberattacks “due to a lack of skilled staff, experience and general inability to analyze most of their security device alerts.”
The competition aims to equip higher ed IT and security staff with critical security intelligence skills through engaging in a high-pressure environment, according to a prepared statement from Symantec. “That way when a real breach happens the cybersecurity teams will have practiced some of these scenarios,” the statement said.
About the Author
Sri Ravipati is Web producer for THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at [email protected].