Key Takeaways
- Pace University’s Seidenberg School sent an eight‑person Blue Team to the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NECCDC) in Lowell, Massachusetts.
- The competition mirrors real‑world enterprise defense, pitting student teams against a professional Red Team of penetration testers.
- This marked Pace’s fourth straight year qualifying for the regional NECCDC, highlighting sustained program excellence.
- Students reported gaining confidence, technical proficiency, and essential soft‑skills such as communication and teamwork.
- Professor Joe Acampora emphasized the competition’s role in bridging classroom learning with the pressures faced by cybersecurity professionals.
- Seidenberg’s NSA/DHS‑designated Center of Academic Excellence status supports hands‑on training via its cyber range and events like NECCDC.
- Participants view the experience as invaluable preparation for future careers in the cybersecurity workforce.
Background of NECCDC
The Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NECCDC) is a regional segment of the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition series. It invites colleges and universities across the Northeast to defend simulated enterprise networks against a Red Team composed of seasoned penetration testers and ethical hackers. Each participating school fields an eight‑person Blue Team tasked with maintaining critical services while detecting, mitigating, and responding to live‑style cyberattacks. The event is designed to replicate the high‑pressure, dynamic environment that cybersecurity practitioners encounter daily, providing a realistic proving ground for student talent.
Pace University’s Continued Participation
For the fourth consecutive year, Pace University’s Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems qualified for the NECCDC regional round. This streak underscores the program’s consistent ability to prepare students for rigorous cybersecurity challenges. The 2024 team faced nine other collegiate squads from the region, each vying to demonstrate superior defensive capabilities. Pace’s recurring presence reflects both institutional commitment and the effectiveness of its curriculum and extracurricular training initiatives.
Team Composition and Preparation
The Pace Blue Team comprised eight students who had devoted months to preparation, balancing rigorous coursework with targeted training sessions. Under the guidance of cybersecurity professor Joe Acampora, the team engaged in qualifier rounds, tabletop exercises, and hands‑on labs that honed both technical tactics and collaborative workflows. Acampora noted that the students’ dedication—training through busy semesters—was a key factor in their readiness to compete at the regional level.
Professor Acampora’s Perspective
Joe Acampora expressed pride in coaching a team that transforms from classroom learners into confident cyber defenders during the competition. He highlighted that the pressure, trust, and techniques exhibited by the students mirror those faced by professionals on their most demanding days. According to Acampora, the immersive nature of NECCDC does more than test knowledge; it equips students with the resilience and problem‑solving mindset essential for any cybersecurity career path, whether in government, industry, or consulting.
Student Nicolas Rossi’s Experience
Nicolas Rossi, a first‑time NECCDC participant, described an initial mix of excitement and nervousness about his ability to contribute effectively. With the backing of his teammates and insights gained from qualifier events, Rossi quickly learned to identify threats and prioritize defensive actions. He characterized the regional round as even more intense but also markedly rewarding, noting that the competition delivered real‑world experience that surpasses typical classroom instruction. Rossi affirmed his enthusiasm to return next year, viewing the event as a crucial stepping stone toward a professional cybersecurity role.
Student Daisy Molina’s Reflection
Returning competitor Daisy Molina emphasized that her second NECCDC appearance deepened not only her technical expertise but also her communication and teamwork abilities—skills she identified as indispensable in daily cybersecurity work. Molina appreciated the opportunity to apply classroom‑learned concepts in a live environment while learning to coordinate effectively with teammates under stress. She highlighted that NECCDC fosters both hard skills, such as intrusion detection and system hardening, and soft skills, including clear reporting and collaborative decision‑making.
Seidenberg’s Broader Commitment to Cybersecurity Education
Pace’s Seidenberg School holds the distinction of being a National Security Agency (NSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education. This recognition validates the school’s rigorous academic standards and its investment in experiential learning platforms. Beyond NECCDC, Seidenberg provides students access to a state‑of‑the‑art cyber range, where they can safely practice defending networks against realistic threats. The integration of theory, hands‑on labs, and competitive events aims to produce graduates equipped with both technical depth and practical readiness for an increasingly complex threat landscape.
Impact on Future Cybersecurity Workforce
Collectively, the narratives from faculty and students illustrate how NECCDC serves as a bridge between academic study and professional practice. Participants leave the competition with heightened confidence, refined technical proficiencies, and improved interpersonal skills—attributes that employers consistently seek. By repeatedly engaging in such high‑fidelity simulations, Pace University helps ensure that its graduates are not only knowledgeable but also adaptable and resilient, ready to meet the evolving demands of the cybersecurity sector.
Conclusion
The Pace University Seidenberg team’s participation in the NECCDC exemplifies the value of competitive, experiential learning in cybersecurity education. Through sustained preparation, supportive faculty mentorship, rigorous training, and the opportunity to test skills against a professional Red Team, students gain a holistic understanding of what it takes to defend modern digital infrastructures. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, initiatives like NECCDC remain vital in shaping the next generation of cybersecurity defenders.