Baker College of Jackson cyber defense team takes second place at state tournament

The Baker College of Jackson cyber defense team earned second place in the Michigan Collegiate Cyber Defense Network (CCDN) state competition, held March 12, 2016.

Members of the Baker College of Jackson team are:

· Benjamin Carroll, of Jackson, team captain

· Benjamin Clark, of Jackson, team co-captain

· Jacob Layher, of Jackson

· Lucas Gorczyca, of Jackson

· Patrick Stowers-Schneider, of Brooklyn

· Ronald Williams, of Jackson

· Benjamin Kaiser, of Grass Lake

· Keenan France, of Jackson

· Samuel Carroll, of Jackson

· Chase Elrod, of Jerome

“In the last four CCDN events, the Baker College of Jackson team had unprecedented success with two first place and two second place wins,” said Benjamin Carroll, team captain. “I credit our learner-centered environment for fostering the high level of dedication and commitment of each team member. I believe that is why we are so consistently successful.”

The team advisors are David Gomez, DBA, dean of business and technology and William Sherwood, DBA.

“We are truly gratified that our program is creating such accomplished students and competitors,” said Gomez. “With each competition, the students’ expertise, confidence and passion increase, signaling their readiness for successful careers in the extremely competitive and intense world of computer networking and cyber defense.”

The Michigan CCDN competition tests each team’s ability to handle simulated real-world cyber attacks. Each team prepared to respond to approximately 100 injections, or attacks, on a computer system. Scores are based on how well the team prioritizes the injections and the number of injections that are neutralized. Teams are scored on offensive attacks as well.

Eleven teams from around the state participated in the competition hosted by Davenport University, Grand Rapids. A team from Baker College of Flint took first place.

Michigan CCDN is a group of network engineers, security experts and educators who volunteer their time to advance cyber defense education in Michigan. For more information, visit www.michiganccdn.com.

For more information about information technology programs at Baker College of Jackson, contact Daniel Smith in the admissions office at daniel.smith@baker.edu or 517.788.7800, or visit www.baker.edu.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 23,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker College grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 100 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker College graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker College is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.

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Photo caption:

Earning second place at the state cyber defense competition are Baker College of Jackson team members (from left to right) Chase Elrod, Patrick Stowers-Schneider, Keenan France, Ronald Williams, Jacob Layher, Benjamin Kaiser, Lucas Gorczyca, Benjamin Carroll, Benjamin Clark and Samuel Carroll.