Virginia Tech Wins Fourth Annual Deloitte Foundation Cyber Threat Competition

NEW YORK, March 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- A team of students from Virginia Tech claimed victory at the fourth annual Deloitte Foundation Cyber Threat Competition for their analysis and incident response approach to a simulated cyber event. Anirudh Bagde, Danny Colmenares, Nicholas Herman and Andy Wong, the school's team members, each received $2,000 in scholarship money.

Designed and facilitated by Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory Cyber Risk Services in an effort to support the development of the next generation of cyber leaders, the Deloitte Foundation Cyber Threat Competition provides a competitive and interactive forum for college students to hone the skills needed to address increasingly sophisticated cyber risks in the marketplace.

"To help prepare the next generation of cybersecurity professionals for the challenges that lie ahead, this competition provides a forum for students to be immersed in real-world scenarios and instills a better understanding of the cybersecurity threats faced by today's organizations and how to mitigate the associated risks," said Anthony Russo, Deloitte Risk and Financial Advisory principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP. "Despite efforts from many organizations, closing the cyber skills gap continues to be a forefront challenge, with an anticipated 3.5 million unfilled positions by 2021."

In fact, a recent Deloitte poll found that nearly half of all respondents surveyed struggle to identify (21.1 percent) and attract (23.2 percent) talent with the technical and business skills necessary to meet changing and growing cybersecurity demands, and even more (65 percent) feel as though the cyber talent gap affects their businesses' operations. 

"In our connected world, cybersecurity is no longer just an option but instead a business requirement that, if unaddressed, can impact every part of an organization," said Tonie Leatherberry, principal, Deloitte & Touche LLP and president of the Deloitte Foundation. "Our mission is to recognize this transition and support future leaders who will need to address one of the most important challenges facing the economy and society."

Universities play an important role in accelerating positive change and ensuring students, regardless of major, are prepared to address cyber risks at the future businesses they will support. The Deloitte Foundation Cyber Threat Competition is designed to complement these efforts by providing practical application of the skills required to excel in the industry.

About The Deloitte Foundation
The Deloitte Foundation, founded in 1928, is a not-for-profit organization that supports education in the US through a variety of initiatives that help develop the talent of the future and their influencers and promote excellence in teaching, research and curriculum innovation. The Foundation sponsors an array of national programs relevant to a variety of professional services, benefiting middle/high school students, undergraduates, graduate students and educators. Learn more about the Deloitte Foundation.

About Deloitte
Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including more than 85 percent of the Fortune 500 and more than 6,000 private and middle market companies. Our people work across more than 20 industry sectors to make an impact that matters — delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities  to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. 

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