Activities

Northeastern University supports several activities that:

  • Promote student interest in cyber security.
  • Enhance education by teaching offensive and defensive network management tactics.
  • Build a community of students who can learn from each other.

Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

Northeastern has participated in the world’s largest college-level cyber defense competition since 2008. In 2016, Northeastern won the Northeast division and in 2010, Northeastern won the national championship. In an environment simulating the real world, the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition gives students an opportunity to:

  • Detect and respond to external network security threats while maintaining essential computer operations and service-level agreements.
  • Develop effective teamwork and problem-solving skills.
  • Network with information assurance faculty and students from other schools.
  • Meet recruiters from companies and government agencies that sponsor the competition.

In 2011 and 2012 Northeastern hosted the regional round of the Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition.

Capture the Flag Competition

The Capture the Flag Competition helps students understand how to protect systems and networks. Participants learn practical skills by defending their own cyber network while attacking networks administered by other teams. A Northeastern University team was the 2011 winner of the Greater Boston Local Universities Capture-the-Flag Competition organized by MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

Professional Society Student Chapters

Several campus chapters of professional societies are promoting interest and learning experiences in cyber security at Northeastern by sharing industry best practices and hosting events. These organizations include:

    • The ACM student chapter, which presents cyber security industry practitioners as part of its successful speaker series and sponsors Hackathon days to give students an opportunity to perform ethical system hacking.
    • The IEEE student chapter, whose presenters at weekly talks include information assurance faculty and industry representatives.
  • A student chapter of the Information Security System Association (ISSA), whose members include practitioners at all levels in industries such as communications, education, healthcare, manufacturing, finance, and government.