Parsons this week is hosting its third Cyber Defense Exercise (CDX), a four-day information assurance (IA) event aimed at helping train participants from military institutions in secure network operations, the company said Tuesday.
Taking place from April 11–14 at the company’s cyber center in Columbia, Md., the team-focused CDX is being run by the National Security Agency (NSA) as part of its commitment to raise awareness among future military leaders about IA challenges and vulnerabilities in the emerging net-centric world, Parsons said.
The NSA started the annual CDX event in 2001.
With over 150 participants from various military institutions, the exercise consists of network specialists tasked with securing the most sensitive government communication systems challenging teams from military institutions in their ability to defend computer networks the participants designed, built, and configured at their respective institutions. The CDX occurs on a virtual private network (VPN) to allow for the exercise without affecting real-world networks.
A separate group of specialists then grade each team’s ability to effectively maintain network services while also detecting, responding to, and recovering from network intrusions and compromises. The winning team is set to be announced on April 15 at 12 p.m.
Parsons said it is also providing the technical support for CDX preparation and execution.
“Parsons is pleased to once again host NSA’s annual exercise to develop the next generation of cyber professionals. As we expand our cybersecurity business, we are continually reminded not only of the critical nature of the mission we serve but of the need to share our expertise to ensure the continued protection of our nation’s most sensitive information,” Mary Ann Hopkins, Parsons Group President, said in a statement.
The federal business unit of Parsons works with a range of national security customers, including the NSA and other defense and intelligence agencies, to provide mission-critical technical support, training, and program management. The company also works in the state and local government and commercial cybersecurity markets where it focuses on critical infrastructure issues, Parsons said.
The 2015 CDX winner was the U.S. Naval Academy, which has won three competitions since the event began.