Computing and Cyber Security students walk away with silver in Capture the Flag competition

Computing and Cyber Security students at UCEN Manchester are celebrating after finishing second in the recent Capture the Flag competition that was held at Sheffield Hallam University.

The third-year students competed against their peers from higher education providers across the UK studying subjects such as web, reverse engineering, forensics, crypto and infrastructure.

The competition was designed to test the participants cyber security skills in a fun and engaging way, and Chris Miller, Programme Leader for Cyber Security and Networking at UCEN Manchester, helped prepare the students for the event.

Chris said: "Participating in this competition was a great way for our students to gain hands-on experience in cyber security and for them to learn how to protect against the latest threats. I am so proud of the success that they've had."

What did the students involved say?

Relu Constandache spoke about how the team competed at such a high level, saying: “We had to trust each other's skills, communicate clearly, and combine our strengths to solve the challenges under pressure. Finishing in second place was a proud moment for all of us, and it showed how much can be achieved through strong teamwork and dedication."

Simone Crispo said: “The competition was an incredible experience, very challenging but very rewarding at the same time. Everyone was welcoming and friendly, and I genuinely enjoyed every moment of it.”

Milad Waskout added: “The competition was tough and tight, but I really enjoyed it. At the very last minute, we managed to secure an amazing second place.”

Building on their success, the students are looking towards their careers within the Cyber Security industry. With continued support from UCEN Manchester’s Lecturers and access to cutting-edge facilities, they’re eager to apply what they’ve learned in real-world scenarios, and events such as these really build their technical skills.

Our Cyber Security: Defensive Threat Detection course at UCEN Manchester aims to encourage you to explore your interests and develop as cyber security practitioners and engineers. Check out the course and then apply to enrol with us this September.