[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 153 (Tuesday, October 20, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S7344]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   RECOGNIZING THE UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL FLORIDA'S COLLEGIATE CYBER 
                              DEFENSE CLUB

 Mr. RUBIO. Mr. President, as October marks Cyber Security 
Awareness Month, I wish to recognize the University of Central Florida, 
UCF, Collegiate Cyber Defense Club on winning the 2015 National 
Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition's Alamo Cup for a second year in a 
row in April 2015. This achievement not only exemplifies the boundless 
educational opportunities provided by UCF, but also demonstrates how 
students in Florida are leading the next generation of growth and 
development in increasingly vital 21st century industries.
  The UCF Collegiate Cyber Defense Club, also known as Hack@UCF was 
founded in 2012 and today has 200 members that represent the university 
in cyber competitions around the Nation. Most notably, Hack@UCF 
annually competes in the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition, 
CCDC. In partnership with the Center for Infrastructure Assurance and 
Security, CIAS, at the University of Texas at San Antonio, the CCDC 
started in 2005 to provide educational institutions with a controlled 
environment to further educate and assess the future generation's 
skills in combatting cyber attacks. This year, the competition 
challenged 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students representing 200 
colleges and universities to operate and maintain a mock business, 
while continuously defending against cyber attacks created by 
government and industry experts.
  I am proud that the talented students of UCF were able to stand out 
as the best collegiate team during the competition for the past 2 
years. As our Nation will continue to face the threat of cyber attacks 
on our economy, businesses, and national security, it is critical to 
promote and invest in educational programs that empower students and 
provide them with the necessary tools to be successful in this 
industry.
  It is an honor to congratulate all members of the UCF Collegiate 
Cyber Defense Club on this achievement. I hope it will inspire other 
students in the State of Florida and across the Nation to get involved 
in the cyber security industry. I wish the group an abundance of 
success in the future and the best of luck in next year's 
competition.

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