Baylor Cyber Security Team Competed in Southwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

Media Contact: Eric M. Eckert, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-1964
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by Jessie Jilovec, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (April 2, 2019) – The Baylor University Cyber Security team advanced to the Southwest Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition that took place Friday, March 22, through Sunday, March 24, at the University of Tulsa.

Members of Baylor’s team included captain Maddie de la Torre, senior, bioinformatics; Jordan Hurt, senior, bioinformatics; Josh Pane, junior, computer science; Caleb Dehaan, senior, computer science; Parakh Jaggi, senior, computer science; Zach Jordan, master’s candidate, computer science; Ruining Yang, senior, computer science; and John Weldon, master’s candidate, business administration.

The Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition is a national competition featuring more than 200 universities. Teams must defend a network for 24 to 36 hours. The Southwest competition, featuring the top eight teams from Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, was one of nine regional competitions leading to nationals.

Though Baylor did not finish in the top three and move on to nationals, coach Jeff Donahoo, Ph.D., professor of computer science in Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science, said he is proud of the way the team competed.

“I am extremely proud of the Baylor Cyber Security team,” Donahoo said. “This is a very tough region in the CCDC, and advancing to the Southwest regional is a major accomplishment. At the regional competition, Baylor exhibited incredible teamwork over the two-day competition.”

Donahoo said the competition is good experience for students because it closely mimics actual cybersecurity operations where students must continue operation and expand their capabilities while under constant attack.

“Success requires developing a deep skill set and fostering teamwork,” Donahoo said. “The students themselves set the benchmark for excellence through the competition.”

Universities at the competition included Baylor, New Mexico State University, Oklahoma State University, University of Arkansas, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of Tulsa, University of North Texas and University of Texas at Austin. Last year, Baylor advanced to nationals.

For more information, visit the information technology services website.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.