Fall preliminary round of RUSecure Contest launches with record participation

The 2017 edition of the RUSecure Capture The Flag contest is underway and is experiencing a record number of competitors.

Joe Chase, professor of Information Technology and co-director of the contest, said the increase is likely due to "strong word-of-mouth advertising."

"I believe we have the opportunity to continue to grow the contest as more school systems and families become aware of the need and opportunities for cybersecurity professionals," Chase said.

To date, 123 teams with more than 500 students total are competing in the contest - an increase of more than 55 percent over the 2016-17 contest.

Sponsored by the Radford University Department of Information Technology, the annual event challenges, motivates and educates hundreds of high school and community college students who participate. For those teams who make it all the way to the finals, a Radford University scholarship is the prize at the finish line.

The students competing for these scholarships represent 55 separate high schools and community colleges. Some cities have multiple schools participating and some schools have several teams. While most groups are based in Virginia, there are several states represented, including Texas, Arkansas, Connecticut and Maryland.

"This program helps students hone their cyber defense skills and knowledge, helping them prepare for the next phase of their education," Chase said.

The contest, co-directed by Chase and Professor of Information Technology Prem Uppuluri, has a fall component which will run over the next two weeks, then a qualifying round in the spring before concluding with the on-campus finals in April.

The program is just one of the many ways that Radford University is leading the way in cybersecurity education. Learn more at http://www.radford.edu/content/csat/home/information-security.html.