On September 18, students from UMBC’s Graduate Cybersecurity Program joined others from Penn State, Penn State Harrisburg, and the Dickinson College of Law at the U.S. Army War College’s Center for Strategic Leadership and Development to participate in a scripted wargame considering the strategic aspects of cybersecurity during the 2014 Intelligence Community Center of Academic Excellence Symposium.

Students were provided the opportunity to be decision makers in one of six entitites ranging from DHS, DoD, and DoJ to state government and private sector organizations. The morning scenario required students to ascertain the roles and responsibilities of “their” agencies/organizations, their capabilities and liabilities, and decide who they should collaborate with to ensure that appropriate actions were taken and actionable information was conveyed appropriately. During the afternoon session, students considered whether acts of war were committed, decided what the appropriate steps were to counter those acts, and which agencies should be in the lead. The day concluded with a plenary session where each student group discussed their approach to the real-world scenario faced that day.

UMBC graduate cybersecurity students taking part in the event include Mark Lewis, Charles Swassing, Rina Chios, Chris Day, Sara Purdum, Michael Sterrett, Kristian Behel, and Joe Kirik (not pictured).

/>

UMBC’s involvement was coordinated by CYBR faculty member Bill Waddell, who is the Director, Mission Command and Cyberspace Division and General George S. Patton Chair of Operations Research and Analysis Center for Strategic Leadership and Development at the US Army War College.