ETH students win first place at Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge
Team Argonauts, composed of ETH students and trained by the student organisation Cyber Group, took first place at the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge in Geneva.
For the second time in a row, a team of ETH Zurich students won the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge in Geneva. At this competition, teams of students from around the world tackle a simulated cyber incident in real time. In its seventh instance, which took place virtually from May 11-12, the ETH Team Argonauts won first place among 24 teams from Europe, the United States and Chile.
For this year's challenge, the students had respond to a cyber incident affecting pan-European healthcare infrastructure. They were required to offer strategic policy recommendations to governments and representatives from the private sector in an ever-evolving situation. A panel of 40 cyber security experts from universities, NGOs, industry, and governments evaluated the teams' performance.
The winning Team Argonauts, comprised of Computer Science Master's students Andra-Maria Ilies and Fabio Streun, Cyber Security Master's student Matthias Franke and Comparative and International Studies Master's student Stefanie Matter, were supported by Cyber Group – ETH Student initiative. The student-founded and -led organisation prepares students for cyber security competitions such as the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge by offering expert talks, networking events and coaching.
Besides Team Argonauts, which was coached by Computer Science Master's students Philippe Panhaleux and Andreas Kuster, three further teams from ETH Zurich participated in the 2021 challenge. Teams Swiss APT and Grey Hawks were also coached by the Cyber Group, while Team Ring on Fire prepared for the competition independently.
About the challenge
The Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge is an international student competition organised by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and the Atlantic Council. It is designed to provide students from a range of academic disciplines a deeper understanding of the policy challenges associated with an escalating cyber incident and potential cyber conflict. Part-interactive learning experience and part-competitive scenario exercise, it challenges teams to respond to a realistic, evolving, multinational cyber security incident. Competitors must analyse the threats posed to national, international, and private sector interests. Students and professionals have a unique opportunity to interact with expert mentors and high-level cyber professionals while developing valuable skills in policy analysis and presentation.