St. John’s Cybersecurity Team Continues Run of Success

For the first time since 2019 and only the second time in its history, St. John’s University’s cybersecurity team has advanced to the regional finals of the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC).

STJCyberStorm, comprised of 11 St. John’s undergraduate and graduate students, earned the prestigious honor by placing among the top 10 teams at the NCCDC qualifier on January 31 at Middlesex Community College in Lowell, MA. The team will compete in the regional finals March 20–22 at Middlesex for an opportunity to advance to the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in late April in San Antonio, TX.

“It is an outstanding achievement that we look forward to building on,” said Rahul S. Karnik ’93SVC, ’96MBA, Adjunct Instructor, Department of Business Analytics and Information Systems, The Peter J. Tobin College of Business, and Coach of STJCyberStorm. “Our students demonstrated not only strong skills, but also professionalism and resilience throughout the competition. Their hard work and preparation paid off.”

The NCCDC is the premier competition of the Northeast Collegiate Cyber Defense League, a collection of 35 colleges and universities in New York and New England that was formed in 2007. The league aims to promote cybersecurity interest and career opportunities while enabling member colleges to assess students’ competency in protecting computer networks and business systems.

The competition tests college teams’ ability to secure, manage, and maintain a corporate network while under active attack. Participants develop practical skills in incident response, system defense, teamwork, and communication under pressure, helping students build experience that employers value.

The league hosted its first cyber defense competition in 2008. St. John’s only other trip to the regionals came in 2019.

“In cybersecurity, it can be hard to find ways to gain the experience that can give you an edge when looking for entry-level positions,” said Lucas Daoust, a junior majoring in information technology at The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies. “Competitions like these give students a way to learn and are a foundation for what you would do at a job in your field.”

Teams received points for their service availability, ability to detect and report security incidents, and the successful defense of inserts designed to exploit a vulnerable network.

Using the state-of-the-art Sanford Family Cyber Security Lab in St. Augustine Hall for training, the STJCyberStorm team competes in several national competitions each year. In 2024, the team finished 15th among 91 teams at the prestigious VIVID Cyber Competition Live Finals.

In November, Lucas and fellow team member Alyssa Meczkowska placed third among 19 teams at a Capture the Flag competition hosted by Hofstra University, sharing a $2,000 prize. In October, team members, including Lucas, Alyssa, Ayaan Bhattai, Thomas Helton, and captain Gabriel Paredas, finished third among 50-plus teams in the prestigious BSides NYC cybersecurity conference.

“Our success speaks to the fact that there is a strong culture of mentorship, collaboration, and hands-on practice with cybersecurity at St. John’s,” said Alyssa, who will graduate in May with a bachelor’s degree in computer science. "This environment has allowed us to thrive as a team.”