From March 14-18, William Lyon Mackenzie’s CI's Cybersecurity team—FNASA—traveled to Washington, D.C., to compete in the CyberPatriot National Finals. This intense competition featured three challenges:
-
Network Security Master Challenge: Teams maintained computer networks, ensured services remained operational, and identified and fixed security vulnerabilities—all while professional cybersecurity experts (a "red team") actively attempted to hack and disrupt their systems.
-
Cisco Network Challenge: Participants configured computer networks, resolved technical issues, and took part in a scavenger hunt where they built physical network components to uncover clues.
-
Boeing Challenge: Teams managed a flight tracking system under simulated real-world conditions.
Success in this competition demanded a high level of technical expertise, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. Mackenzie’s team excelled, securing 2nd place in the Cisco Challenge (and, according to their coach, likely being the first to complete the scavenger hunt by a wide margin) and finishing 6th overall—an outstanding result in a field that began with nearly 2,900 teams.
Mackenzie was also the only Canadian and international team to reach the Finals, making their achievement even more remarkable.
Congratulations to Sean Z., Felix Z., Alex Z., Tsz Fei W., Phil H., and Raymond O. for their dedication and success! The team now looks ahead to one more major competition—the CyberTitan Finals in May, where they’ll aim to reclaim the Canadian championship.