11 students from Longwood University’s Cybersecurity Club will compete in Virginia’s first ever collegiate cybersecurity competition Feb. 24. – Feb. 25, 2017 at Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va. This competition is sponsored by Virginia’s Secretary of Technology and Senator Mark Warner in an effort to enhance cybersecurity education in the Commonwealth.

 Longwood students will be among 12 teams from across the Commonwealth of Virginia competing in a capture the flag style event to tackle different scenarios designed to model real-world challenges in computer security.

 Strengthening cybersecurity education is one of the Commonwealth’s top priorities. Dr. Darrell Carpenter, Director of the Center for Cybersecurity, says, “The systems and devices we use in our daily lives are at constant risk of remote manipulation…our cybersecurity students are learning to protect our connected lives in a hostile world.”

 In addition to the competitive events, students will have an opportunity to network with fellow students and industry leaders. Bridgett Burg, President of the Cybersecurity Club at Longwood University says, “I feel like it is going to be a new experience for everyone involved because this is the first time this specific competition will have ever happened. No one really knows what to expect for sure so we are jumping into it with our minds open and considering it a learning experience for next year.”

 To learn more about cybersecurity education at the College of Business and Economics at Longwood University, please contact Dr. Darrell Carpenter, carpenterdr@longwood.edu.