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UNO to Host High School Hackathon

Student at CodeCrush

High school students from around the metro will compete in the College of IS&T's third annual hackaton

OMAHA - Saturday, Nov. 14, high school students from across Omaha will compete in a hacking competition at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).

This is the third year of the competition, hosted by UNO’s College of Information Science & Technology (IS&T) and NULLify, a student-run cybersecurity group made of Information Assurance students. Over the last three years, the event has grown from five teams to 12 teams (representing 10 Omaha high schools).

The competition begins at 9 a.m. Saturday, inside the University of Nebraska Peter Kiewit Institute, located on UNO’s Pacific Campus.

Organizers are using a Capture the Flag format. Teams of up to five high school students will be challenged to solve more than 30 technical security challenges, and find "flags," or weaknesses, and submit them for points.

The students are also competing for more than bragging rights. Prizes include laptops, tablets and wireless headphones.

This year’s event is sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Northrop Grumman and First Data.

The competition highlights the importance of education in the in-demand field of cybersecurity.

UNO’s College of IS&T offers a Bachelor’s Degree, Master’s Degree and graduate certificates in Information Assurance. The coursework prepares students to address fundamental problems in secure information systems. Students participate in classes and research which develop their skills and knowledge in risk assessment, information security policy, electronic commerce and many other topics regarding securing our nation’s information technology infrastructure.

UNO has been named a Center of Academic Excellence in Information Assurance Cyber Defense by the National Security Agency (NSA) and is home to the Nebraska University Center for Information Assurance (NUCIA).

To learn more, visit ist.unomaha.edu.

For questions or media requests, please contact:

Sam Petto, UNO Media Relations Coordinator
unonews@unomaha.edu
 402.554.2704

or

Charley Reed, UNO Associate Director of Media Relations
unonews@unomaha.edu
 402.554.2129


Relevant Links
 College of IS&T Community Engagement
 UNO Information Assurance Program
Experts Discuss Cyber Security Tips

About the College of IS&T
 The College of Information Science and Technology (IS&T) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha represents the joint efforts of the University of Nebraska, the State of Nebraska, and private industry to address the growing global needs for knowledgeable professionals in Information Technology (IT). The College was established at UNO in 1996 to meet the growing demand for IT graduates in the Omaha metropolitan and surrounding area.

About the University of Nebraska at Omaha

 Located in one of America’s best cities to live, work and learn, the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) is Nebraska’s premier metropolitan university. With more than 15,000 students enrolled in 200-plus programs of study, UNO is recognized nationally for its online education, graduate education, military friendliness and community engagement efforts. Founded in 1908, UNO has served learners of all backgrounds for more than 100 years and is dedicated to another century of excellence both in the classroom and in the community.

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