Cyber Security team comes from behind to earn sixth-place finish at national tournament

When Senior Computer Science student Amanda Jones became team captain of Liberty’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC) team last year, she didn’t think her guidance would push the crew all the way to nationals.

More than 170 CCDC teams compete in qualifier challenges throughout the year, fighting for a spot in their respective regional tournaments. Only regional winners and the wild-card victor —10 teams total — contend for the national title.

Liberty did it all, first snatching victory in its mid-Atlantic region, the most competitive of the nine regions, then waltzing out of the national tournament in San Antonio, Texas, April 21-23, with a sixth-place overall finish. Liberty’s squad established itself as one of the top collegiate cyber defense teams in the United States — while keeping Christ first.

“Our computer science department has less than 100 graduates each year residentially,” said Jones. “So, to be able to go against big names like Dakota State, DePaul, and UVA, who have huge computer science programs, is an absolute honor and a testament to how hard the team has worked and developed their skills.”

Liberty went head-to-head against University of Central Florida (1^st place), Dakota State University (2^nd), Sandford University (3^rd), and Mid-Atlantic foe University of Virginia, who advanced to nationals through its wild-card triumph. Other teams included UT Austin, Oregon State University, Northeastern University, Brigham Young University, and DePaul University.

“It was incredible. We had so much fun,” Jones said. “Being able to compete against these insanely epic teams was the dream. We spent the whole time smiling. Something about getting out of Lynchburg and going on that trip was an adventure.”

The tournament format simulated a major cyber breach at a company, and each team defended their servers from an onslaught of hacks (professional hackers, called the Red Team, sat in another room). Teams are strictly graded on identifying problems, responding to incidences, and regaining control of their services.

The two-day tournament was an arduous uphill battle for Liberty’s team, specifically the first day, which ended with Liberty in last place. A volley of careless blunders, in addition to a harsh double penalty for service errors at the beginning, thwarted the team from finding its stride.

But according to team coach and Professor of Computer Science Richard Bansley, affectionally called “Chief” by the students, finishing in last place on day one was according to God’s design. Bansley said the obstacle gave students an optical chance to represent Christ while under scrutinizing pressure.

“The way the team overcame the first day was evidence of why God put us there, because that’s where it mattered most,” Bansley said. “When they ended that first day in last place, they had to be determined the next day to double their efforts and not give up. That’s where the real fruit was.”

“No matter where we went, we had an opportunity to speak grace and mercy into the lives of others we were dealing with, and that was recognized by everyone we interacted with,” Bansley added. “And we got lots of feedback from other people stating how much they appreciated our team. … We reflected the Lord’s grace and mercy in a very worldly arena because that’s what hacking is. It’s full of people who are bent naturally for rebellion against the norm. So, in that community, it really sticks out when you represent Christ.”

Starting at the bottom, the team persistently scratched and crawled its way onto the leaderboard. The 8-member team worked as one unit, documenting and identifying more Red Team activity. When things started going wrong, the team adapted and communicated effectively.

“I think that’s why we did so much better on day two, because we were really working together,” said computer science sophomore Jared Bieker, who will succeed Jones as team captain next season. “It may have been a rough first day, but I think we made up a lot of ground that second day. And getting sixth in the nation is amazing.”

“It was so bad after the first day, that I did a happy dance when they were no longer in last place,” Bansley added.

While the stakes were high at the competition, representing Liberty at nationals was also an opportunity for students to network with the competition’s sponsors, which included Raytheon Intelligence & Space, an aerospace and defense company that boasts nearly 40,000 employees, along with other leading cyber security companies.

Cyber security is one of the highest demanding job markets in the world, and Liberty’s computer science program, under the School of Business, offers cutting-edge experiences for students to tap into this field.

Securing a bid to the national championship is an enormous portfolio boost for students.

“This season has been one big answer to prayer,” Bieker said. “I’ve been praying for a long time about making it to nationals, and all glory to God for it. It was all because of Him that we made it. … Amanda has done an amazing job with the team. The skillset that she has is perfect for the team captain role, and I have a lot of work to do for filling that position.”

Five team members, including Jones, will be graduating this week.

Jones selected Romans 12:10-11 as the team’s themed verse this season, which stresses putting others before oneself. She said much of her team’s success this season is attributed to the spiritual focus.

“My identity is in Christ, regardless of the outcome,” she said. “With what we’ve accomplished, we know that God has been for us, because we’ve kept Him at the center. We didn’t win, but we did a fantastic job at making an impact. And people saw something different (in us), and that’s the best opportunity we could have.”