The United States Coast Guard Academy Cyber Team made a powerful statement at the 2024 BSides Connecticut (BSidesCT) Capture the Flag (CTF) competition, clinching 1st, 3rd, and 4th place in a thrilling showcase of skill and teamwork. Held at Western Connecticut State University, this year’s event brought together a diverse group of cybersecurity enthusiasts.
“BSidesCT competition was beginner friendly but scaled up to expert level challenges. There were about 50 teams competing, which consisted of fellow collegiate teams, individuals, and professional teams sent by companies,” said 1/c Connor Fulbright, Cyber Team captain.
BSidesCT’s CTF competition is renowned for its variety of challenges, which span multiple domains of cybersecurity, including cryptography, web exploitation, reverse engineering, and network forensics. Each challenge is designed to test participants’ technical skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities under intense competition. The Coast Guard Academy fielded three separate teams, all of whom performed exceptionally well, showcasing the depth and breadth of the Academy’s cyber training program. The Team’s remarkable performance highlighted their expertise and solidified their standing as one of the top collegiate cybersecurity teams in the region.
“The competition was phenomenal. To be in a position where I could score points and contribute having come in a month before with no prior experience shows how well the team is setting us up for the future,” said 4/c Cameron Evans.
Team stats are as follows:
1st Place Team:
- 1/c Connor Fulbright (Captain)
- 1/c Josh West
- 1/c Torin Kearney
- 2/c Mathew Condon
3rd Place Team:
- 3/c Ashley Boley
- 3/c Trent Fulbright
- 3/c Matthew Geminden
- 4/c Cameron Evans
4th Place Team:
- 3/c Jaedon Koa Dumlao
- 3/c Alex Smith
- 3/c Erick Acevedo
“While a first-place finish is impressive, I am most proud of the fact that all three of our teams finished on the podium. It was a great team outing that made us want to travel to NYC to compete in the larger BSides competition,” said Fulbright.