Thirteen SANS.edu students placed in top 100 in the individual NCL competition out of more than 6,600 participants
BETHESDA, MD, November 23, 2022 – Students from the SANS Technology Institute (SANS.edu), one of the nation’s largest cybersecurity programs and the only college focused solely on cybersecurity, earned the #2 Power Ranking at the fall 2022 National Cyber League (NCL) competition, after ranking #2 in the team competition (out of more than 1,000 teams) and #3 in the individual competition (out of more than 6,600 participants).
- Three SANS.edu Sentinels teams made the top ten, earning 2nd, 4th and 8th place out of more than 1,000 teams nationwide
- Five Sentinels teams secured spots in the top 100
- Thirteen SANS.edu students placed in top 100 in the individual NCL competition out of more than 6,600 participants
After winning the #1 positions for individual, team, and power ranking at the spring 2022 NCL competition, the Sentinels are ready to fight again for the top spots in the spring 2023 NCL competition.
“To get the #1 power ranking at the NCL in the spring and come in second in the fall out of more than 1,000 teams is an extraordinary achievement,” said Ed Skoudis, President of the SANS Technology Institute. “I am constantly amazed at the depth of talent throughout the college, and these strong finishes reflect our students’ skill, focus, and dedication, as well as the value of education they’re receiving.”
The members of the SANS.edu Sentinels team with the second place finish were Jacob Elliott, Tristan Myers, Nathan Spanier, Jesse La Grew, Jeffrey Milberger, Daniel Joachim, and Shawn Woods.
“This is my fourth season competing in the National Cyber League representing SANS.edu but this season was special because I was competing alongside an entirely new group of teammates whom I had never worked with before,” said Jacob Elliott, the captain of the second-place team and third place finisher out of more than 6,600 participants in the individual NCL competition. “The strong performance of our team and other Sentinels teams just goes to show the quality of cybersecurity education we’re receiving from SANS.edu even while working remotely and dealing with our own busy lives. I’m already looking forward to next time!” Jacob is a graduate of the SANS.edu Undergraduate Certificate program in Applied Cybersecurity and a current student in SANS.edu’s Graduate Certificate program in Industrial Control Systems Security.
“With its first place finish in the spring NCL and second place finish in the fall, the SANS.edu Sentinels have proven they’re a force to be reconned with,” said John Hally, Principal Security Architect at NETSCOUT and a graduate of the SANS.edu cybersecurity master’s degree program, who coached the SANS.edu teams.
About the National Cyber League
The National Cyber League (NCL) is a collegiate cybersecurity competition that enables students to prepare for and test themselves against practical cybersecurity challenges that they will likely face in the workforce, such as identifying hackers from forensic data, penetration testing and auditing vulnerable websites, and recovering from ransomware attacks. Open to U.S. high school and college students, the NCL is a community and virtual training ground that allow students to develop and demonstrate their technical cybersecurity skills, helping students bridge the gap from curriculum to career.
About the SANS Technology Institute
The SANS Technology Institute (SANS.edu), America’s premier college for cybersecurity, offers career-focused undergraduate and graduate programs distinguished by:
- A world-class faculty of highly skilled information security practitioners
- Hands-on cybersecurity courses that are continually updated for real-world relevance
- Industry-recognized GIAC certifications earned in each of its programs
- Innovative online and in-person course delivery options, including 100% online options for all SANS.edu programs
- The proven success of its alumni
SANS.edu master’s degree students conduct leading-edge cybersecurity research that enhances the state of the art in the practice of information security. The college is also home to the Internet Storm Center, the world’s leading global cyber threat detection network, where students in the bachelor’s degree program gain hands-on experience as Apprentice Handlers.
The SANS Technology Institute is accredited by The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (1007 North Orange Street, 4th Floor, MB #166, Wilmington, DE 19801 - 267.284.5000), an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Learn more at www.sans.edu.