UMUC Captures Gold at Global CyberLympics in Barcelona, Spain

Adelphi, Md. (Sept. 30, 2014) — The Cyber Padawans—a team of cyber security students, faculty and alumni from University of Maryland University College (UMUC)—defeated the world's best, including the three-time defending champion team from the Netherlands, to win the 2014 Global CyberLympics in Barcelona, Spain.

It's the first time that the UMUC Cyber Padawans have won the event and their first world title in any competition. UMUC finished second in the 2012 Global CyberLympics.

“This was an amazing experience," said Jeff Tjiputra, the team's coach and the program chair of the undergraduate cybersecurity program at UMUC. "We swept through the regional competition, but the world final was very, very tough."

The CyberLympics is an online ethical hacking, computer network defense and digital forensics competition, dedicated to finding the top cyber security teams in the world.

Regarding the "capture the flag" style competition in the global championship round on Monday, Tjiputra said his team told him "they never fought for control of a system this hard before."

Three of the nine teams (from the Netherlands, India and Peru) that won regional competitions and competed in the finals were made up of professionals from Deloitte, the global consulting giant.

The UMUC Cyber Padawans qualified for the global championship after winning each of three rounds in the North America regional competition in August.

Members of the UMUC team include Matt Matchen (alumnus, BS in Global Business and Public Policy; team captain), Armando Quintananieves (alumnus, MS in IT with Information Assurance concentration and BS in Computer Networks and Security), John Arneson (student in the undergraduate program in cybersecurity), Ben Heise (student in the undergraduate computer networks and security program), Robert Murphy (adjunct faculty member in the computer networks and security program) and Christophe McBee (student in the Undergraduate secure software development program).

In addition to winning the CyberLympic title and finishing second in 2012, the UMUC Cyber Padawans’ run of success also includes winning the collegiate and professional divisions of the Maryland Cyber Challenge in 2013.

UMUC has more than 7,000 students enrolled in cyber security bachelor’s and master’s programs. More than 80 students compete in various cybersecurity competitions throughout the academic year.

Contact: Bob Ludwig 301-887-7614 (mobile) Robert.ludwig@umuc.edu