SAIC Launches Inaugural Utah Cyber Defense Challenge and Symposium 2012

SALT LAKE CITY, May 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) (NYSE: SAI) today announced a statewide cyber competition and symposium designed to raise cyber awareness across government, academia and industry. The Utah Cyber Defense Challenge and Symposium (UCDC) 2012, to be held June 1 at the Little American Hotel –Salt Lake City, will include a live cyber competition comprised of college and high school students and professional teams, as well as a comprehensive symposium featuring renowned industry experts and thought leaders. 

Rob Joyce, deputy director of the Information Assurance directorate at the National Security Agency will deliver the keynote address and Charles Beard, SAIC senior vice president and chief information officer (CIO), will speak during the 'Fortune 500 CIO's Perspective' session. The symposium will include an academic panel on the cyber workforce, featuring panelists from the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and Utah State University. Additionally, Jeff Edwards, edcUtah president, will lead a panel of local CEOs and industry leaders on key cybersecurity trends and issues.

Governor Gary Herbert recognizes the importance of increased awareness and knowledge of cybersecurity trends, and the impact of cyber issues on Utah business. 

"Utah continues to grow in national prominence as a bastion for business and careers," said Governor Herbert. "With that growth is an ever greater need for stronger cyber defense, and Utah has an opportunity to help increase the nation's supply of an educated cyber workforce. The UCDC enables us to raise awareness on how to defend against cyber criminal activity by establishing an open dialogue between industry experts, academic leaders and members of the Utah business community."

The UCDC, organized by SAIC, edcUtah, the Utah Technical Council, the National Cybersecurity Alliance and the Federal Business Council, Inc. (FBC), features a virtual qualification round in May and live finals in Salt Lake City on June 1. The International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) is a challenge sponsor, offering the winning team automatic entry to the prestigious Global CyberLympics competition and a chance to compete against the brightest information security minds in the world.

The competition will be powered by SAIC's CyberNEXS, a comprehensive cyber training, certification, and exercise model helping participants build the skills necessary to become successful cybersecurity professionals and protect critical data assets. The qualification rounds test cyber defense skills including hardening systems against vulnerabilities, maintaining critical services, and timely and effective communications. The finals will consist of a six hour defense-oriented battle, where observers will see a live cyber exercise occur with access to a real time score board and subject matter experts will be on hand to describe the competition.  

"SAIC is thrilled to launch the inaugural Utah Cyber Defense Challenge and Symposium," said Beard. "Cyber challenges like this enable valuable public-private collaboration across markets around a vital national security initiative, our future cyber workforce. It is imperative we provide hands-on competitions to keep our professionals sharp, trained, educated and energized to perform in the face of evolving threats."

For additional information on the Utah Cyber Defense Challenge and Symposium 2012, visit http://www.fbcinc.com/e/ucdc/. For additional information on SAIC's cybersecurity initiatives, please visit http://www.saic.com/cybersecurity/.

About SAIC

SAIC is a FORTUNE 500® scientific, engineering, and technology applications company that uses its deep domain knowledge to solve problems of vital importance to the nation and the world, in national security, energy and the environment, critical infrastructure, and health. The Company's approximately 41,000 employees serve customers in the U.S. Department of Defense, the intelligence community, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, other U.S. Government civil agencies and selected commercial markets. Headquartered in McLean, Va., SAIC had annual revenues of approximately $10.6 billion for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2012. For more information, visit http://www.saic.com/. SAIC: From Science to Solutions®

Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in SAIC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2012, and other such filings that SAIC makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE SAIC

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