Future Cyber Workforce Strengthened Through National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

WASHINGTON, Feb. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte is seeking the best and the brightest technology students from universities and colleges across the United States for the sixth annual National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC). Deloitte is the national sponsor for the contest, which was founded in 2005 by The University of Texas at San Antonio Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security and challenges collegiate teams to demonstrate their ability to develop systems for defeating cyber threats. The Cyber Defense Competition is the nation's largest collegiate cyber tournament.  

"The National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition plays an important role in building the nation's future cyber workforce," said Lt. General Harry Raduege, Jr. (USAF, Ret), chairman of the Deloitte Center for Cyber Innovation and co-chairman of the Commission on Cybersecurity for the 44th Presidency. "These exercises are vital training for people who will be safeguarding the nation's systems and infrastructure. Deloitte is committed to the development of a strong cyber workforce.  Both government and industry are experiencing an acute shortage of people with cyber skills and we recognize the need to both encourage and develop the top minds in this industry."

The NCCDC has grown to include qualifying and regional level competitions across the country.  The challenge consists of undergraduate and graduate students securing and maintaining servers and workstations, managing, data files, administering users, and performing common business-related and administrative tasks while fending off attacks from a live opposition team or "Red Team".  Points are awarded and taken away based on performance.

"The NCCDC is a great way for motivated students to demonstrate their job skills to sponsors like Deloitte who are actively involved in the competition and to other companies who may want to hire them," said J.R. Reagan, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP and head of the Center for Federal Innovation. "Given today's competitive job market, students who are looking for a way to meet potential employers will find that being part of the NCCDC will work to their advantage."

Deloitte recruiters will be meeting with leaders on college campuses across the country to help assemble teams and encourage participation in future state and regional competitions. The competition has grown substantially since its inception six years ago.  In 2010, 86 institutions and nearly 700 students across the U.S. participated in the event – up from five institutions in 2005.

"NCCDC has seen exponential growth in participation in the last five years. Our growing list of sponsors also represents a chance for students to impress future employers.  In some cases their participation in Collegiate Cyber Defense competitions and introduction to sponsors has led to full time jobs," said Dwayne Williams, director of the NCCDC. "We've even had sponsors hire multiple members of the same team."  

A list of NCCDC's 2010 competitors can be found here:

As used in this document, "Deloitte" means Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries. All services are provided within the rules and regulations applicable to the practice of public accounting.

SOURCE Deloitte