CyberForce - US Department of Energy Cybersecurity Workforce Development Program

CyberForce Overview

CyberForce is a yearly competition for CAE member schools put on by the US Department of Energy. Students participate in a red team vs. blue team scenario where participants act as cyber defenders (blue team) in a simulated real-world scenario where they have to maintain and protect cyber assets, often modeled on energy-sector critical infrastructure.

University of Denver is sending two teams to participate in CyberForce again this year! Good luck to everyone representing us in the competition!

Team 42 members (no particular order):

• James Weiner
• Campbell Willmuth
• Brian Wilson
• Henry Walen
• Owen Conlon
• Garrett Veyna

Team 56 members (no particular order):

• Nicholas Swain
• Aditya Biswas
• Sachin Thokala
• Koa Hawn
• Markus Rodriguez
• Christion Martinez

CyberForce Plug

Looking to build your cyber security toolset?

How about getting some valuable experience that you can put on your resume?

If you are a DU student with an interest in cybersecurity, ethical hacking, or joining fun contests, CyberForce is the place to be!!

In short, CyberForce is hosting a CTF style competition for US University students. You and a team will participate in a two-day online hacking event to test your mettle. It’s completely free to participate, and it should be a great experience for ethical hacking (in particular, defending assets against hackers). Don’t worry about your skill level; as long as you have an interest in cyber this will be worthwhile. So find a team, and sign up today!!

DU students have participated in CyberForce for several years running, and 2026 is no different. This year we have two teams accepted to attend and compete.

Overview

Competition Goal: Through the Department of Energy CyberForce Competition, we aim to leverage the people, research and capabilities of the National Laboratory Complex by providing a competition that tests the next generation of cyber professionals’ ability to protect and defend energy-focused critical infrastructure.

Student Eligibility: Participants must be 18 years of age to participate. Participants must be attending an accredited U.S. higher education institution. Participants must be degree seeking: undergraduate, graduate, and PhD. Participants must be actively attending the university they wish to represent. Participants must be on a team of 4-6 individuals. Once the competition has begun, a participant must complete the competition. Successful teams will have: A connection to an accredited cyber program. A base knowledge in industrial control systems. The ability to work together as a team. The motivation and want to learn and try new things. A passion to think outside the box for defensive measures. A drive to provide innovative solutions.

CyberForce Home Page Details

About DU Cybersecurity

The University of Denver’s MS in Cybersecurity is a National Security Agency validated program of study, designated as a CAE-CD (Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense) institution. DU is also an R1 research institution, so students can pair a rigorous cybersecurity education with cutting-edge research. Competitions like CyberForce give our students hands-on, high-pressure experience defending realistic systems against active adversaries, which is exactly the kind of thing employers look for.

Interested?

If you’re already a student at DU, join the DUCC (DU Cyber Club) slack channel for updates CS@DU Slack. You’ll have to join our CS@DU slack workspace first, then join the DUCC channel. Email us if you have any issues!

If you’re not already a student at DU, but are interested in learning more, Email us about the courses and programs at the University of Denver, browse this site, check out the University of Denver Ritchie School of Engineering and Computer Science main site for more info! You can also see the full range of DU cybersecurity options available here.