Raytheon Company, a technology and innovation company specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world, has announced a three-year partnership as the title sponsor of the Raytheon National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC).
“Our nation’s military, government and commercial sectors are in dire need of cyber talent as we rely ever more on the cyber domain and face ever-increasing threats,” said Lynn Dugle, president of Intelligence, Information and Services at Raytheon. “As a leading provider of cyber security solutions, we are committed to increasing awareness of and interest in cyber careers, and have partnered with NCCDC because we believe in its mission to provide hands-on experience needed for the next generation of cyber leaders.”
The company, headquartered in Waltham, Mass., recently commissioned a survey of the millennial generation, and uncovered that only 24 percent expressed interest in cyber careers.
The Raytheon National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition will be held April 25-27 in San Antonio, Texas. Raytheon will also sponsor various regional competitions across the country. More than 180 colleges and universities are expected to take part in competitions that lead up to this year’s national championship, according to Raytheon.
Raytheon also seeks to help advance future generations’ interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, according to the company.
“We are honored that a company with Raytheon’s credentials in cyber and STEM has joined us along with other commercial and government partners like the Department of Homeland Security, in promoting cyber security careers to college students around the country,” said Dwayne Williams, director of NCCDC. “We look forward to a long-term partnership that we hope will help narrow the gap in filling cyber security and information technology jobs that are critical to protecting the country against cyber threats.”
As part of the sponsorship, Raytheon will provide technical guidance, employee volunteers and products to support the competitions.
Founded in 2005 by the University of Texas San Antonio’s Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security, NCCDC has grown to include qualifying, state and regional level competitions. NCCDC is modeled after real-world commercial business environments, and challenges collegiate teams to successfully keep a company running despite constant cyber attacks. To win, undergraduate and graduate students must secure and maintain servers and workstations, manage data, administer users and perform common business and administrative tasks while fending off attacks from a live opposition team.
