Students and servicemembers from all over the world will challenge each other in a unique variation of capture the flag on Tuesday, at TechNet Augusta 2022.
“It’s basically a technical way to help work out cybersecurity problems,” said Todd Gay, Outreach and Engagement Director at the Georgia Cyber Center, about the subject of the competition at the upcoming tech conference.
TechNet Augusta, an annual conference focused on facilitating networking, communication and education among the military, government and business regarding technological and largely cyber-related issues, challenges and advancements.
The four-day symposium, coordinated by the non-profit association AFCEA International (formerly known as the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association) and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence, hosts lectures, panel discussions, vendor expos and social events; all centered upon matters of innovation, cybersecurity, problem-solving and other pertinent subjects as they relate to industry, academia and government.
The AFCEA TechNet Augusta International Military and Collegiate Capture the Flag Event is one such occasion. Parsons Corporation, the defense tech engineering firm based in Centersville, Va., will host this portion of the conference, which will consist of 72 teams from 12 countries, matching each other’s technical acumen.
The version of “capture of the flag” that the approximately 80 college and military participants will be playing will be a little different from the outdoor sport.
“It’s just like a Jeopardy board,” Gay said, describing what’s essentially a game in which groups of four or five test and exhibit their problem-solving skills. “You will have the different categories going across the top of the board, and then you’ll have different problems worth different amounts of points.”
The competitors, some participating and person and some virtually, will be from United States, Argentina, Canada, Brazil, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Qatar, Taiwan and the U.S.
The Capture the Flag event will last about four hours, after which the winners will be honored in an award presentation in the Olgethorpe Ballroom at the Marriott Convention Center, recognized by Maj. Gen. Paul T. Stanton, Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon Commanding General, and LTG (Ret.) Susan Lawrence, AFCEA, President and CEO.
AFCEA TechNet Augusta 2022 will be held from Aug. 15 – 18, at the Augusta Convention Center at the Marriott. The AFCEA TechNet Augusta International Military and Collegiate Capture the Flag Event will be on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at the Georgia Cyber Center Virtual World in the Hull McKnight building. For more info visit https://events.afcea.org/Augusta22/Public/enter.aspx.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
