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Press Release | April 17, 2008

8th Annual Cyber Defense Exercise

The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS) Information Assurance Directorate will host the 8th Annual Cyber Defense Exercise (CDX), 21-24 April 2008. Joining the five service academies this year will be teams from the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT) and a team from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). Although the teams will participate in the exercise, they will not be eligible to win the coveted CDX trophy. The teams that will be competing for the trophy and bragging rights are the United States Naval Academy (USNA), United States Air Force Academy (USAFA), United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA), the United States Coast Guard Academy (USCGA) and last year's winner, the United States Military Academy (USMA). The teams will compete from their respective school locations; however, the activities will be monitored from the exercise headquarters located at the Lockheed Martin facility at 6625 Selnick Drive, Elkridge, Maryland 21075.

The Cyber Defense Exercise is a computer security competition designed to foster education and awareness among future military leaders about the role of information assurance (IA) in protecting the nation's critical information systems. The exercise challenges teams of students drawn from each of the service academies with designing, building, and successfully defending a real-world computer network against simulated intrusions by a team of Department of Defense experts. The entire exercise is conducted on virtual private networks, providing a safe path for the exercise while preventing interference with real-world networks.

  • Journalists interested in covering the event are invited to attend CDX Media Day on Thursday, April 24, 2008, from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

  • Media representatives will be given access to interview service-member participants and the spokesperson for the NSA/CSS Information Assurance Directorate, Mr. Tony Sager.

  • Cameras are not permitted on the premises, but photographs will be provided to media representatives who attend the CDX.

For more information about CDX 2008, contact the NSA/CSS Public and Media Affairs Office.