Cal Poly student-built cyberskills capture-the-flag competition played by 116 middle and high school players from across the country. Lauryn Williams from the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) joined for Opening Ceremony.   

San Luis Obispo—On May 12 through May 13, the California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI) at Cal Poly hosted its flagship capture-the-flag competition, 2023 Space Grand Challenge REDUX (SGC). 116 middle and high school students representing 23 teams from California, Utah, and Oregon competed this year in four divisions. The following teams were the winners of each division: 

High School 

Category: Advanced High School 

Team Name: CyberAegis Aevus 

School Name: Del Norte High School 

Category: Beginner High School 

Team Name: Python Republic 

School Name: Folsom High School 

Middle School 

Category: Advanced Middle School 

Team Name: CyberAegis Cryo 

School Name: Oak Valley Middle School 

Category: Beginner Middle School 

Team Name: Blue 

School Name: South Pointe Middle School 

 

The SGC is the seventh competition hosted by CCI since its founding. The 2023 competition was the first year that the SGC competition shifted towards a program model, outlining more opportunities for student-players to play, and by extension more opportunities for student-developers to build and update instances.  

This year’s competition included an opening ceremony on Friday, May 12, with special guest Lauryn Williams, Senior Advisor in the White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). Lauryn wished student players good luck and shared insight on the burgeoning market for cybersecurity workers, especially as it relates to the space industry. Her comments can be found here.

The SGC was made possible by the generous support of the National Space Security Association (NSSA) and SPLUNK. Their support enables the CCI to pay student-developers and keep the game free and accessible to all.  

The next program planned for SGC is a sandbox opportunity on October 6 to 8, 2023. The instance will be made available to the public for practice. Additionally, CCI student staff have already begun development of the next platform, which will include a new storyline and new Unity rooms, for the 2024 Space Grand Challenge.  

Sign up to stay informed on future announcements about the Space Grand Challenge. 

 

About the Space Grand Challenge Program 

The Space Grand Challenge (SGC) Program is a global virtual game-based cybersecurity competition for middle and high school students built by Cal Poly students. The SGC helps prepare the next generation of the cyber workforce by expanding the pipeline of talent earlier, promoting STEM, and developing cyber/IT skills. SGC accomplishes this through a unique use of gamification and esports to promote STEM, space themes, and cybersecurity skills. 

 

About the California Cybersecurity Institute 

The California Cybersecurity Institute (CCI) at California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) in San Luis Obispo, California, leads a state and national initiative to address cybersecurity challenges. By bringing together the tech community, government agencies, and educational institutions, the CCI is enhancing cybersecurity defense capabilities at Cal Poly, for the state of California, and across the nation.