COMPETITION FOR A CAUSE

Cyber professionals from the U.S. and multiple other countries are in the midst of an annual competition led by U.S. Cyber Command meant to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity in wake of months of devastating attacks.

The annual Cyber Flag competition this year brought together 430 cyber professionals on 17 teams representing U.S. Cyber Command and other Defense Department agencies, the House of Representatives, the National Guard, and the U.S. Postal Service. It also incorporates teams from the United Kingdom and Canada.

Each year, the teams are presented with a scenario involving a major cyber incident, with this year’s scenario involving an attack by two adversaries on a logistics support depot. The competition runs through Friday and is operating across eight time zones, with teams competing to win.

“Think of these like a compound, like a Bin Laden compound, where they go and they rehearse and they rehearse and they rehearse, and they get to see this network in a place where they can do the live target practice, do the live cyber defense that they need to stay sharp,” U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Gabe Edwards, the Cyber Flag exercise lead, told reporters Wednesday.