DOE Announces the Winners of the 2023 CyberForce Competition®

Today, the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and Argonne National Lab (ANL) announced the winners of the ninth CyberForce Competition® held November 4 in St. Charles, Illinois. At the end of the event, A Team with a Dream from the University of Central Florida was crowned the champion, defeating 94 teams of students from universities and colleges across the country.

• First Place: A Team with a Dream - University of Central Florida 
• Second Place: Cyber Eagles - Tennessee Technological University 
• Third Place: Darth Gator - University of Florida 

"I want to congratulate A Team with a Dream from the University of Central Florida on their success in the U.S. Department of Energy’s 2023 CyberForce Competition,” said Puesh M. Kumar, Director of CESER. “The competition focused on ensuring the cybersecurity of clean energy systems and the students did an exceptional job in executing the challenge. It’s vitally important that we continue to promote cyber workforce development to help us defend the energy sector of today, and tomorrow."

During the all-day CyberForce Competition, the teams faced real-world cybersecurity issues surrounding distributed energy resources (DERs), including constraints like budget and ensuring uninterrupted power access. The ninth iteration of the competition emphasized not just technical knowledge but innovation, adaptability, and effective communication. Participants had to maintain the system, create defenses on tight budgets, and work with virtual users. A Team with a Dream from the University of Central Florida demonstrated excellence in handling challenges to their mini electric grid despite the scenario’s realistic constraints and cyber-attacks.

Through this competition, DOE sought to inspire and strengthen the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. Given the high demand for such experts, the CyberForce Competition plays an important role in preparing students for the field's real-world challenges and demands. For many participants, it’s a steppingstone towards a career in creating a more secure digital world. 

Beyond the annual competition, the CyberForce® Program, which is sponsored by CESER and led by ANL, offers additional opportunities to help develop the energy cybersecurity workforce and bolster the skills of collegiate students. These include: 

• The virtual CyberForce "Conquer the Hill" competition series,  
• Career development opportunities at CyberForce virtual career fairs, and  
• CyberForce Informational webinars.  

These initiatives highlight DOE's commitment to fostering growth and knowledge in the cybersecurity domain. To learn more about DOE’s CyberForce Program, visit CyberForce Competition® – Department of Energy's CyberForce® Program.