The VIVID Coalition, consisting of the University of Alabama in Huntsville, Augusta University, University of Arizona, and Florida International University, organizes this annual cybersecurity-centric competition. Designed to provide hands-on experience and strengthen resumes, the event draws participants from CAE-designated institutions and offers them an opportunity to showcase their expertise to U.S. government practitioners and industry leaders.
鈥淲inning first place at the national level, during an enduring two-day competition reflects the vision of our leadership, the quality of our cybersecurity program, and our students,鈥� said Assistant Professor of Instruction Marbin Pazos Revilla, USF CyberHerd coach.
The final phase of the competition featured 14 teams that were competing for the title of Overlord Champion. The USF CyberHerd team delivered an impressive performance over the course of the two-day competition. 鈥淭he key for this competition is accuracy and speed,鈥� said Waseem Albaba, CyberHerd captain. 鈥淏alancing both of those aspects is crucial for that competition.鈥�
Their ability to solve complex challenges under pressure secured the top prize, with Embry-Riddle and Cedarville University taking second and third place, respectively.
鈥淲inning VIVID is a crucial pivotal point for CyberHerd as this is our first national first place win as a team. We've been able to win many local and smaller competitions but never at a national scale with over 100 universities competing. This was quite an experience, and we are ready for more!鈥� said Waseem.
Congratulations to the competing students!
- Nevin Southammavong (Cyber Security, Senior)
- Jackson Liveringhouse (Computer Science, Junior)
- Waseem Albaba (Cyber Security, Masters)
- Jack Trigg (Cyber Security, Masters)
- Jacob Hammargren (Cyber Security, Senior)