Minnesota State Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition

Pine City, MN – Pine Technical and Community College (PTCC) was proud to participate in the 2024 Minnesota State Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (CCDC), held on January 25, 2025. Hosted by Alexandria Technical and Community College, this event brought together eight teams from across the state to compete in a challenging cybersecurity simulation. The competition was made possible through the generous sponsorship of Abbott, WiSP Services, LLC, and Gardonville Cooperative Telephone Association.

Pine Technical and Community College is dedicated to preparing students for the ever-evolving field of cybersecurity and IT. Our participation in the Minnesota CCDC underscores our commitment to hands-on learning and real-world experience. This competition, organized annually by the Minnesota State IT Center of Excellence (MN STATE IT COE), provides students with an opportunity to test their skills in a high-pressure, real-world simulation of cybersecurity threats and defense.

The competition tasked students with assuming administrative and security responsibilities for a commercial network, simulating a small business environment. Each team was challenged to detect and respond to cyber threats while maintaining critical services such as email, web hosting, and e-commerce platforms. Teams competed against a Red Team of ethical hackers, who tested their defensive skills in real time. Scoring was based on service availability, response effectiveness, and overall cybersecurity strategy.

This year, over 100 students from 10 Minnesota higher education institutions participated, alongside faculty, industry professionals, and cybersecurity experts. The top teams from the Minnesota CCDC advanced to the Regional CCDC at Moraine Valley Community College in Illinois, with a chance to compete at the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition in San Antonio, Texas, in April 2025.

Competition Results:

• 1st Place: St. Cloud State University, St. Cloud, MN
• 2nd Place: Metro State University, Saint Paul, MN
• 3rd Place: Minnesota State University, Mankato, MN
• 4th Place: Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis, MN
• Other Participating Teams: Alexandria Technical and Community College, Century College, Lake Superior College, Minneapolis College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College (in partnership with Minnesota State University, Moorhead), and Pine Technical and Community College.

Pine Technical and Community College is honored to have been part of this rigorous competition, further solidifying our commitment to cybersecurity education and workforce readiness. We extend our gratitude to MN STATE IT COE, our fellow competitors, and the event sponsors for making this competition possible. We look forward to continuing to build the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

For more information about Pine Technical and Community College’s cybersecurity programs and opportunities, visit pine.edu/academics/programs-courses/cyber-security/