On Wednesday, 21 March 2018, U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) was named the winner of the inaugural NSA Cyber Exercise (NCX).
Held in tandem with the Joint Service Academy Cybersecurity (JSAC) Summit, NCX was hosted in Dahlgren Hall at USNA. Cadets and midshipmen from the five U.S. Service Academies were tested for three days in near full-spectrum cyber operations to include tracking adversary coordinates, defending space mission kits using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and defending U.S. infrastructure in a shared internet space. Four teams from USNA competed over the three-day event to win the coveted NCX trophy.
NCX attracted over 80 guests during the first two days of the exercise, despite the snow storm that began in Annapolis area on Tuesday afternoon. With the exception of Dahlgren Hall and NCX, USNA was closed on Wednesday, and the JSAC Summit was canceled as a result. The exercise resumed operations on the third day, and a number of JSAC attendees who were already in town for the summit attended NCX instead.
Speakers from NSA and U.S. Cyber Command provided opening and closing remarks for each exercise. Mr. Harry Coker, Executive Director NSA, announced the winner following the final event. VADM Walter Carter, Superintendent U.S. Naval Academy, then gave closing remarks on behalf of the hosting academy. HOOYAH Navy!
Next year, NCX will be hosted at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.