CCRI Cybersecurity Club Places 27th in NCL Meet

WARWICK, RI —  CCRI’s Cybersecurity Club placed 27th among 510 colleges and universities in the National Cyber League (NCL) spring competition, beating powerhouses including Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Connecticut.

The CCRI Cybersecurity Club ranked first among all New England schools, second among all community colleges, and ninth among all schools in the East, marking their expertise in the technical quiz competition among the best in the region.

“At the community college level, yeah, we’re pretty proud,” said Cybersecurity Program director Michael Kelly.

The CCRI Cybersecurity Club, welcoming all students, prepares students for the industry on a professional and social level. In addition to competing in national competitions, students meet to talk about cyber news and participate in other cybersecurity-related activities.

In the fall, Kelly said, the CCRI Cybersecurity Club placed 90th, and have redoubled their efforts since, determined to improve.

“So to go from 90th to 27 is pretty cool,” Kelly said.

Their performance is especially impressive given that the team is comprised of adults, some in their 40s working on their performance during weekends, not 18-year-olds spending most of their time on studying.

The questions they fielded included encryption, security, cryptography and defense, testing their knowledge of the field. A practical test of their ability to defend a system is part of a separate test, Kelly said.

David Ziechick, commissioner of the NCL, lauded their performance.

“It is with our highest recommendation that students from the Community College of Rhode Island be recognized for their admirable achievement that showcased their individual skills, collaborative performance, and desire to grow and learn as cybersecurity professionals,” Zeichick wrote in a letter to CCRI.

CCRI Cybersecurity Club Cyber Knights earn praise

One of the club’s teams, the Cyber Knights, drew praise for its especially impressive work.

“We would like to recognize the following students for their outstanding performance: Caleb Car, Zachary Hartmann, Corey Davis, Maria Monteiro,” Zeichick wrote.

Hartmann, the club president, and Davis, the vice president, both were thrilled with the results.

“It was a peak experience for me,” Hartmann said. “I barely slept for the three days of the competition, but what drove me forward was to bring home wins for the team. I found that working so closely with the other students was a big motivator for me.”

“It was pretty amazing to see that,” Davis, 41, said of CCRI finishing 27^th in the Cyber Power Rankings. “I was shocked to see we were that high.”

It didn’t happen by accident; club leaders and participants put in significant work. Numerous events and meetings, including weekly “Cyber Saturday” sessions at the Newport County Campus, culminated in the Cybersecurity Club proving itself on a national stage.

“The performance of our students this spring is very rewarding,” said Kelly, whom Hartman described as a “great leader” and “instrumental” in the club’s success. “It speaks to the commitment and energy of our students and faculty who have worked so hard to continue to move the program forward.  It is also confirmation of the great work being done in our Cyber Saturdays program where much of the preparation for the competition took place.”

Kelly recognized adjunct faculty members Joseph Bransfield and Anthony Hanos for their work as club coaches. He also credited student leaders, such as Davis and Hartmann, for excelling in their roles as club officers.