Left to right (back row): Tallon Kamor, Cameron Hunt, Alex Curry, Nathan Hall, Alex Peterson, Caine Munro (student advisor), Tyler Morys (observer), Rodni Roberts (observer); Left to right (front row): Steven Vincent (advisor), Joshua Planck, Matthew Hansel (advisor), Brandon Webster (team captain), Anna Engel; Not pictured: Onsite remote judge: Mark Lozen
Cybersecurity is a topic we see more and more often in our news feeds these days, and a team of Baker College students just proved they are going to be more than ready to take on the future of cyber defense, thanks to their hard work and competitive spirit.
Baker College of Owosso’s Cyber Defense Club, an eight-person undergraduate student team, recently earned the top spot statewide, and a third-place regional finish, in the qualifying event for the 2022 Midwest Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MWCCDC), presented by the CSSIA: Center for Systems Security and Information Assurance.
The team’s impressive finish in the qualifying event earned them a slot in the MWCCDC regional contest, which took place virtually on March 18-19, 2022. There, they competed among a field of 10 colleges and universities from: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. While they didn’t finish among the top three spots at the regional competition to move onto the national level, we couldn’t be prouder of their effort and sportsmanship.
The annual Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition sees teams simulating the role of an IT company that must resolve issues with existing services or systems, while also completing time-sensitive tasks requested by supervisors, and keeping their systems secure and functioning during attempted attacks by professional penetration testers (more commonly known as hackers).
The Baker College team is coached by Cyber Defense Club Faculty Advisors, Matthew Hansel and Steven Vincent.
“The statewide win, and a top-three regional qualifier finish, are truly a reflection of our students’ hard work and the extra effort they put in to make it happen,” said Hansel, adjunct instructor. “It makes me and Steve so very proud to know each of these students, and to get to watch their knowledge and skills grow.”
Congratulations are in order for the entire 2022 Baker College of Owosso Cyber Defense Club competition team, which includes:
- Alex Curry of Lapeer, Mich.
- Anna Engel of Port Hope, Mich.
- Nathan Hall of Flushing, Mich.
- Cameron Hunt of Davison, Mich.
- Tallon Komar of Swartz Creek, Mich.
- Alex Peterson of Kalamazoo, Mich.
- Joshua Planck of Flint, Mich.
- Brandon Webster of Linden, Mich.
- (Plus, Honorary Mention to Tyler Morys of Lapeer, Mich. for his work in helping the team to prepare for competition)
Baker College’s cybersecurity program has regularly been recognized on the competitive stage, and since 2007 has earned multiple state-level championships, Midwest regional titles and national competition victories. Baker College also holds a national CAE-CDE (Center for Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education) designation from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and National Security Agency, which it retains through the 2024 academic year.
More information on Baker College’s cyber defense programs is available on the College of Information Technology and Engineering webpage.