University’s Connecticut Institute of Technology Hosts Regional Penetration Testing Competition

Nicholas Dubois ’24 and his fellow members of the University’s hacking team recently spent a weekend on campus using their knowledge and skills to identify weaknesses in a corporate environment without impacting business operations. Their “client” was a fictious company in the hotel and hospitality industry.

The simulation was part of a regional qualifier of Global Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition (CPTC). It enables students to play the role of professional penetration testers, 和y meet and present their work to representatives of the mock company that hired them. 该大学的 康涅狄格理工学院 hosted the New England Regional for the fourth time, welcoming students from area schools such as 西点军校 和 马萨诸塞大学阿默斯特分校.

“It was great to have CPTC hosted on our campus for the first time since I have been a student,迪布瓦说, a 网络安全和网络专业. “The CPTC group did a fantastic job setting up a realistic environment for competitors to examine and report on.”

作为比赛的一部分, students take part in real-world penetration testing engagement, much like that conducted by security departments and companies. Students gain hands-on experience 和 ability to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom.

“CIT, one of twenty-two National 安全 Agency-designated Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Operations 和 only one in Connecticut, was proud to host the Collegiate Penetration Testing Competition's New England Regional,” 自由页，M.S., coordinator of the University’s undergraduate program in cybersecurity and networks. “This prestigious global competition is focused on the work-ready skills of identifying vulnerabilities in an organization's infrastructure, 撰写专业报告, and presenting to company upper-level management.”

明年我们会做得更好。

The winner of the regional competition, UMass Amherst, advanced to the global finals. The University captured second place in the event last year, and that team was also a wild card qualifier for the global competition last January, where they were recognized for having the best presentation.

Dubois is excited for all the team is sure to achieve at next year’s competition, 以及春季学期. 他们的下一个重要活动将是 大学网络防御竞赛. The qualifier round is scheduled for later this month.

“With almost all of our team composed of sophomores competing for the first time, I expect that with some additional preparation we will do even better next year,他说. “We will continue to prepare for our next large competition.”