Adelphi, Md.— Nov. 24, 2025 — Thecyber competition teamfromUniversity of Maryland Global Campus took first place in theAssociation of Old Crows2025 Cyber Electromagnetic ActivityCapture the FlagEvent,challengingteamsfrom across academia, government, and industry.
“This victoryis further evidence ofthe excellence of UMGC students, faculty, and alumni in the field of cybersecurity, as well as the curriculum of our undergraduate and graduate programs,” saidteam coachJesseVarsalone, associate professor of cybersecurity technology at t .
Thecompetition,heldOct. 27at the CONVERGE Innovation Center in Aberdeen, Md., featured eight teamsthattook on10 technicalscenario-basedchallenges,includingcoding,cryptographyand network analysis.
“The fact that theUMGCteam not onlyled the field amongtheuniversity teams, but the professionalteamsfrom industryshowsthatUMGCis among the top cybersecurity programs in the country,” saidVarsalone,whoalsocompetedas part of the UMGCteam.“UMGC’scybersecurity students are not only workforce-ready—they are among the best prepared to meet real-world challenges.”
The cyber competition team is ranked first in the United States and currently sixth in the world among universities in the ongoing Hack the Box competition.
Established in 2012,theteamcomprises students, alumni and faculty who compete regularly in digital forensics, penetration testing and computer network defense scenarios that help them gain experience to advance their cybersecurity careers. To prepare for competitions, students detect and combat cyberattacks in the university’s Virtual Security Lab and work through case studies in an online classroom.
About University of Maryland Global Campus
Universityof Maryland Global Campus was founded more than 75 years ago specifically to serve the higher education needs of working adults and military service members. Today, UMGC is the largest provider of postsecondary education in Maryland. It continues its global tradition with online and hybrid courses, more than 175 classroom and service locationsworldwideand more than 135 degrees and certificates backed by the reputation of a state university and the University System of Maryland. For more information, visit.