For the Reporter

College students from throughout the Pacific Northwest have a chance to practice thwarting hackers during the eighth annual Pacific Rim Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition March 21–22 at Highline College.

The event provides students with real-world challenges while maintaining a corporate network that can­not be repli­cated in a typ­i­cal classroom. This type of competitive practice gives students better training and preparation for the workforce.

“With the recent stories on data security breaches—which are growing in number—it is essential that our students are out here learning how to deal with network intrusions and cyberattacks,” said Dr. Amelia Phillips, Highline Computer Information Systems faculty member and the regional director of the event.

Teams from 14 colleges and universities are scheduled to participate in the annual competition, including Green River College.

Each team consists of between six and eight students with a cap of two graduate students on each team. Students from at least two high schools will be on hand to participate in the National Initiative for Cyber Security Education (NICE) Challenge Project and observe the competition with the hope that the students will be inspired to pursue cybersecurity as a profession.

“During the competition, students may be dealing with power outages, network installations or other challenges while being under attack by professional hackers—also known as penetration testers,” Phillips said. The hackers will be trained professionals from government agencies, National Guard, Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command and local industry.

Open to two- and four-year colleges and universities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, the Pacific Rim Competition serves as the regional competition for the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition. The Pacific Rim region boasts national status with the University of Washington Seattle winning both the regional and national competitions in 2011 and 2012. Western Washington University won the Pacific Rim Competition in 2014. This year’s national championship is scheduled for April 24–26, 2015, in San Antonio, Texas.