SEMO cyber defense team takes state title -- again

For the eighth consecutive year, Southeast Missouri State University's Cyber Defense Team has won the Missouri Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, or CCDC, and with new leadership this semester, the team is looking to take it to the next level.

Mario Alberto Garcia, the university's Institute of Cybersecurity director, is new to Southeast, but, he said, one of the reasons he accepted the position was seeing the cyber defense team members' motivation and how they work.

"They organize themselves," he said. "Every week they have a meeting where students present different topics. Three times a week, they practice for the cyber competition. That attracted my attention."

Garcia said he's looking forward to the regional competition in Chicago, not only to potentially qualify for nationals -- the team has come close, finishing in the top five previously, but never won -- but also to observe and strategize for taking the team to the next level.

That's one short-term goal. Long-term, Garcia hopes to strengthen and grow what's already there, as the cyber defense team members are experienced and organized.

As it stands, the cybersecurity club has about 20 students, and the competition team has eight. "I'm planning to grow that in a year, to expand from 20 to 50 in the club, and instead of just one cyber competition team, I would like to have two so that we are getting stronger and stronger," Garcia said.

The virtual competition was held Feb. 15, according to a university news release, and Southeast's cyber defense team finished ahead of second-place Drury University and third-place Northwest Missouri State University.

The regional competition will be held March 13 and 14 at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills, Illinois. Teams from Missouri, Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Iowa will compete.

Southeast's cyber defense team members who competed in the Missouri CCDC were Ethan Gyori of Eureka, Missouri; Jack Gavin of Lee's Summit, Missouri; Giovanni Licameli of St. Peters, Missouri; Max Foster of Freeburg, Illinois; Connor Bybee of Carterville, Illinois; Sierra Wetmore of Iuka, Illinois; Gabe Stier of Sherman, Illinois; and Andrew Banning of Salem, Illinois. The team's alternates are Joseph Kossack of Vienna, Illinois; Jennifer Tenholder of Florissant, Missouri; Elijah Iverson of Bloomington, Illinois; and Quinn Johnson of Weston, Missouri.

The competition tests each team's ability to secure a networked computer system while maintaining standard business functionality, according to the release. Teams start with identically configured systems and earn points based on how well they're able to solve problems and prevent unauthorized access, while keeping the system operational.

"Being successful and winning is definitely something we want to continue," Gyori, team captain, said in the release. "Each competition provides a learning experience. It's not just a drive to win, but it's learning, and that's what we look forward to and enjoy."

"Winning this competition is proof not only of our team members' hard work, but also of the foundation that SEMO's cybersecurity program has laid for us to expand upon," he said.