Vincennes University holds "Capture The Flag" cybersecurity competition

Teams of IT students at Vincennes University competed in April in a Capture The Flag style competition that involved cybersecurity and digital forensics, along with typical scavenger hunt clues that sent them all over campus gathering clues. Organizers of the event had to be creative in designing the contest to comply with COVID-19 protocols, but faculty and students said the experience was both fun and educational. Students displayed their IT skills and also worked on collaboration and critical thinking.

VU covered the event with a recent news release, providing details of the competition and reactions from faculty and students. Over 70 students from various IT majors competed, forming small teams. The first round of the event had students solving clues to find various landmarks across the campus. Teams located places with current and historical significance, capturing flags and selfies. The second round used CyberQ, a platform that provides cybersecurity training exercises, access to which was provided by EC-Council. The CyberQ portion of the competition incorporated information learned in courses with virtual flags for scoring. 

The framework of the event was impacted by COVID-19, but it was important to organizers that they give something to the students who have been dealing with pandemic restrictions for over a year. IT Department Chair Jaci Lederman explained, "The last year has been difficult on students and faculty alike. COVID-19 has made our collaborations with each other a challenge, but we didn't want to end the year without an opportunity to serve our students by hosting a fun event that incorporates so many aspects of what we are all about here at VU such as hands-on creative learning, team building, critical thinking, and troubleshooting just to name a few." Lederman went on to note, "In some ways, the event was better because we were challenged to work with the COVID protocols. Sometimes the problem is how we see the problem."

Vincennes University IT Professor Greg Hirsch emphasized the soft skills events like this can help develop in students, saying, "The Capture The Flag event is an amazing opportunity for our students to learn leadership skills, work as productive team members, and leverage the strengths of individual team members to solve challenges. These students showed they had the IT skills and the ability to collaborate that any employer would celebrate."

Student Haley Burch seemed to concur with Hirsch. Sharing her feedback, Burch said, "It was an amazing experience that one can only expect from Vincennes University. Teamwork, hard work, and the satisfaction of getting answers correct really made this whole thing fulfilling towards my education."
Students who participated received t-shirts and other mementos featuring a flag designed by cybersecurity student Dylan Mollo.