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MCCCStudentPlacesEighthinNJGovernorsFirstStatewideCybersecurityChallenge

MCCCStudentPlacesEighthinNJGovernorsFirstStatewide
CybersecurityChallenge
4/11/13

WestWindsor,N.J.MercerCounty
CommunityCollegestudentThomas
HerrellofEastWindsorplacedeighth
intheinauguralNewJersey
GovernorsCyberCorpsChallenge,
heldatBrookdaleCommunityCollege
inMarch.
TheeventwashostedbyGovernor
ChrisChristie,inpartnershipwiththe
cybersecurityconsultancyand
educationcompany,SANS
(SysAdmin,Audit,Network,Security).
Itsgoalwastogivestudentsandjob
seekersacrossthestatethe
opportunitytocompeteinvarious
Internetchallengesandrecognizethe
statesbestyoungtalentin
cybersecurityand,ultimately,place
theminhighlevelsecurityjobs.
Herrelldecidedtoparticipateinthe
CyberCorpsChallengewith
encouragementfromMCCCfaculty
memberChrisPecci,whoteachesthe
collegesNetworkSecurityDesign
class.Ilearnedalotthroughthis
competition,Herrellsaid.Ilike
cybersecuritybecauseitinvolves
manydifferentfieldsincomputingand
makesyouusemanydifferent
abilities.

MCCCInformationSystemsmajorThomasHerrellplacedeighthinthe
inauguralNewJerseyGovernorsCyberCorpsChallenge,heldat
BrookdaleCommunityCollegeinMarch.HeispicturedwithEdSkoudis,
CounterHackChallengesfounderandSANSFacultyFellow.(Photo
courtesyofCyberAces)

Registrationforthechallengewasfree
andopentoNewJerseyhighschool,
collegeandgraduatestudents,aswell
asveterans,membersofthearmed
forces,andjobseekers.
Thefirstphaseofthechallengewasa
CyberAcesFoundationonline
competitionforthe600registrants,
whichconsistedofthreemodulesand
associatedquizzes.
Herrellinitiallycompetedagainst600otherregistrants,thenwentonto
competewiththetop15percentinanalldaychallengeatBrookdale.(Photo
courtesyofCyberAces)
Thetop15percentofparticipantsweretheninvitedtocompeteinanalldaychallenge,createdbyNetWars,thesystem
usedbytheU.S.Military,U.S.Governmentagenciesandmanycommercialcompaniestoevaluateandtraintheir
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MCCCStudentPlacesEighthinNJGovernorsFirstStatewideCybersecurityChallenge

employees.
Anawardsceremonyfollowed,whereHerrell,anInformationSystemsmajoratMercer,wasrecognizedastheeighth
placefinalistoutofthetopten.HeandtheothertopperformerswillbeinvitedtoenrollintheNewJerseyCyberCenter
atBrookdale,wheretheywillbeimmersedinintensivecybersecuritycurriculumcomprisedofacombinationofcollege
coursesandSANSInstitutetraining.Thegoalistoplacetheseindividualsincybersecurityjobsuponcompletionofthe
certificationprogram.
TheCyberCenterisfundedthrougha$300,000NationalScienceFoundationgrant.
TheNewJerseyCyberCenter/Brookdalemodelisdesignedtotransformthecyberskillspipelinejustasasimilar
programearlyinWorldWarIIdidforaviatortraining,saidSANSInstituteDirectorofResearchAlanPaller.Cyberskills
areasimportanttotheprotectionofthenationtodayasaviationskillswereduringWorldWarII.
Herrellsinstructor,Pecci,hasbeenteachingasanadjunctinstructorinMCCC'sNetworkEngineeringTechnologies
programforeightyears.Heuseshiscybersecurityclasstoshowstudentshowtodefendcomputernetworksagainst
hackerattacks,andhowtoleveragetechnologies,suchasCiscofirewalls,toprotecttheconfidentialityofpersonaland
privatedataoncomputernetworks.
Ourclassesprovidestudentswithrealworldknowledgeofbusinessandindustrybestpracticesforsecuringpublicand
privatecomputernetworksagainstattack,saidPecci,addingthatwhenhestartedteachingaboutcybersecurityfour
yearsagoitwasbarelyontheradarofthemedia,andcorporateawarenessofcybersecuritythreatswasstillevolving.
Withrecurringhighprofilebreachesofpersonaldata,companiesarenowracingtofillcybersecuritypositionsandare
findingthereisashortageofqualifiedprofessionals,Peccisaid."Thomasisabrightstudentwithagreattalentinthis
field.Educationisaboutselfdiscovery,andMercerisheretoprovidethefoundationthatenablesstudentstolearn,
achieve,andsucceed.I'msureThomaswillgofarinwhateverhechoosestodo.
AccordingtoMCCC'sInformationTechnologyProgramCoordinatorJeffWeichert,Mercerisexpectingtoseean
increaseinenrollmentforcybersecuritycoursesatthecollege."Theneedforhighlyskillednetworkadministratorsis
expectedtocontinuegrowingoverthecomingyears,andMerceriswellpositionedtotrainourstudentsinallfacets
ofcybersecuritydefense."
FormoreinformationaboutcourseofferingsinnetworkingandcybersecurityatMCCC,emailweicherj@mccc.edu.
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