Christen Ford
  • Ph.d. Engineering
  • Class of 2023
  • Lakewood, OH

Christen Ford competes on winning Baldwin Wallace University Cyber Defense Team

2017 Jun 5

Christen Ford of Lorain was among the tech-savvy members of Baldwin Wallace University's Cyber Defense Team that scored impressive showings in state, regional and national competitions this year including a top place in the National Cyber League (NCL) National Championship and another first place in the Ohio Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC).

During the spring 2017 semester, the team won first place in the silver bracket and fifth place overall in the postseason NCL National Championship. The "capture the flag-style" competition challenged students to find flags using their knowledge of cryptography, access exploitation and more.

Earlier in the year, the team took first place in the Ohio CCDC for the fifth year in a row and the seventh time overall. The competition simulated a scenario where the information technology staff was fired and the students were hired to replace them. They had to assume control of the computer network, remove or mitigate vulnerabilities, and secure systems.

The team then competed in the Midwest Regional CCDC in Chicago, finishing in the "middle of the pack" of 10 schools. The students "worked well as a team" and "did a lot of things right" according to CCDC judges, who were also impressed with their ability to come up with unique solutions. The competition focused on managing and protecting a commercial network and also allowed students to connect with industry professionals.

The team's spring performance followed an impressive showing at the 2016 NCL Championship during the fall semester where they bested 134 other teams from across the nation to finish in fifth place in the silver bracket and 10th place overall.

Ford, a graduate of Midview High School majoring in computer science, participated in the 2016 NCL Championship.

"It is hard to develop and keep a team, and even harder to win competitions," said Kenneth Atchinson, associate professor of math and computer science and Cyber Defense Team coach. "It speaks to the dedication of the students, the strength of the computer network security program, and the support of the BW community that we continue to compete and do well."