For the second straight season, Marshall’s National Cyber League (NCL) team has placed in the top 10 nationally in the National Cyber League team game competition, finishing in eighth place out of a total of 627 teams in the spring team game postseason competition. The team placed ninth in the NCL’s fall team game postseason competition.
The team is composed of students in Marshall’s game development, digital forensics and information assurance, computer and information technology, computer science and mathematics programs. They all participate in Marshall’s Collegiate Cyber Defense Club (CCDC).
Members are:
- Timm Johnson, a senior majoring in computer and information technology (game development) with a minor in digital humanities
- J. Clark, a sophomore majoring in digital forensics and information assurance
- Bryan Groves, a senior double majoring in computer science and digital forensics and information assurance
- Peyton Stevens, a sophomore majoring in digital forensics and information assurance
- Philip Taylor, a senior double majoring in computer and information technology (web/app development) and management information systems
- Skylaar Mease, a junior double majoring in computer science and mathematics.
- Josh Brunty, associate professor of digital forensics and information assurance, who serves as Marshall’s NCL coach and as advisor for the Collegiate Cyber Defense Club.
“When these students learn cyber defense or cyber forensics in the classroom, it’s a perfect scenario that results in a perfect outcome. Unfortunately, the real world doesn’t work that way,” Brunty said. “When these students play in competitions like NCL and CCDC, they have to apply a broad base of knowledge and skills to figure out how to solve a challenge, regardless of the obstacles. It teaches them both soft and hard skills that we could never replicate in the classroom. It’s these skills, along with teamwork, that will set them apart after graduation.”
The NCL is a nonprofit organization that aims to serve as a cybersecurity training ground, providing simulation environments and competitions to help strengthen participants’ skills in the field. For more information on NCL, visit www.nationalcyberleague.org. To learn more about the CCDC team at Marshall, visit https://herdlink.marshall.edu/organization/ccdc.
Originally from Jean Hardiman for Marshall University Communications.