Cyber Defense Competitions

Iowa State University hosts five Cyber Defense Competitions (CDC) each year. CDCs are held on a Friday and Saturday. Friday is for final set up and the actual competition starts at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The scenario for the competition is released about four weeks prior to the event so that teams can start building their Blue Team network.

How to get involved in the CDC

  • Become a Sponsor. Companies and organizations can sponsor one or more CDCs. Check out our sponsorship letter, which describes the opportunities, here.
  • Play on the Blue Team. Three of the CDCs are open to certain groups outside of Iowa State.
  • Play on the Red Team. Members of the Red Team attack the Blue Team on Saturday, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. We welcome anyone who is interested in being a part of the Red Team. Contact cdc_support@iastate.edu to learn more.
  • Play on the Green Team. The Green Team members are users and will spend Saturday testing the usability of the Blue Team systems.
  • Visit the competition. Anyone is welcome to stop by and visit the CDC during setup on Friday afternoon, or during the competition on Saturday.
  • The Community College CDC is open to any community college in Iowa and surrounding states.
  • The International CDC is open to any school in Iowa and surrounding states as well as teams in Kosovo.
  • The High School CDC is open to any Iowa high school that participates in the Innovate-IT program.

CDC dates for 2023-2024

Iowa State University CDCSeptember 29-30, 2023
Community College CDCDecember 1-2, 2023
National/International CDCFebruary 24, 2024
Iowa State University CDCMarch 22-23, 2024
Sign up
Scenario
High School CDCApril 20, 2024

If you are interested in participating in a CDC, please contact cdc_support@iastate.edu with your interest!