The Virtual Cybersecurity Career Challenge (VCCC) is for college-level students seeking real-world experience in cybersecurity. Students will work in teams of five to create a business plan, configure virtual machines, develop business processes, and secure their network. The project culminates with a team presentation to an audience of cybersecurity professionals.

About the Challenge

The Virtual Cybersecurity Career Challenge is a 12-week program running February 2–April 24, 2026, where students work in teams of five to complete a cybersecurity project that mirrors real industry work. Students typically dedicate 160+ hours and may use the experience as a capstone project or for co-op credit.

Students receive a certificate of completion to demonstrate their applied skills to prospective employers.

Students selected for the Challenge must be organized, committed, and capable of working effectively in a team environment. Because the experience reflects real-world conditions, they should be prepared to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity as part of the learning process.

Instructors

Community college and university cybersecurity instructors facilitate the challenge. Teams meet weekly with instructors to gain guidance and support on all aspects of their project. Students are expected to meet regularly with their team members and complete the challenge.

2026 Schedule

February 2 to April 24 (12 weeks)
Cohort 1: Meets on Tuesdays, 10-12 pm Pacific time.
Cohort 2: Meets on Wednesdays, 2-4 pm Pacific time. 
Each cohort will have 25 students divided into teams of five. 

• Week 1 - Workshop begins: Introduction to project work roles.
• Week 2 - Introduction to the network requirements & team formation. 
• Week 3 - Network admin basics, Kanban, Gantt charts, Visio diagrams. 
• Weeks 4 to 10 - Teams work independently during these weeks. Weekly meetings will cover network management and pentest preparation. 
• Week 11 - Pentest. 
• Week 12- Team presentations & complete feedback survey.

Student Activities

• Identify team member project roles.
• Develop an Information System project plan for a fictitious business.
• Use project management tools for communication and project implementation.
• Operationalize a network of nine devices within specific technical requirements.
• Defend the network against a penetration test. 
• Deploy penetration testing to analyze the network for evidence of attacks or compromise.
• Submit a compliance report using the CSET tool or other approved tool. 
• Present your results.
• Complete feedback survey.

  

Past Student Comments

“The highlights of this experience for me were gaining hands-on experience with real-world cybersecurity challenges, applying theoretical knowledge to protect systems and data, and developing practical skills that go beyond textbook learning. This project was truly eye-opening, giving me a deeper understanding of the complexities and intricacies involved in the field of cybersecurity.”  Cybersecurity Career Challenge Student

“The ability to communicate cross-team demonstrated our adaptability to succeed, despite being pressed for time to complete the objective.” Cybersecurity Career Challenge Student

“For me, the highlights were seeing my gaps in my skills when it comes to project management, soft skills and technical skills. I was also able to understand through this challenge that I have a growing potential when I was troubleshooting different kind of technical issues that my team encountered. Not only that, but I completely understood how soft skills are crucial; this project was not designed to be done alone rather with a team, and being able to get 5 people together was probably the most difficult thing I faced during this challenge.” Cybersecurity Career Challenge Student

“I enjoyed the team aspect the most and the ability to discover more about my skills as they appeared with more contrast in this environment.” Cybersecurity Career Challenge Student

 

Application Process

Students can apply individually or as a team (five max). Individual students and teams of less than five will be combined to make teams of five.

 Student Eligibility

1. Completion of one year of college credits including introductory courses in networking and cybersecurity.
2. Attend a Virtual Cybersecurity Career Challenge information session (Instructor PPT, Overview PPT).
   • Nov 14 | 10 am to 11 am Pacific Time
     • Register for Nov 14
   • Nov 19 | 9 am to 10 am Pacific Time
     • Register for Nov 19
   • Nov 21 | 2 to 3 pm Pacific Time
     • Register for Nov 21
3. Obtain an instructor endorsement. The instructor must be someone who can confirm your readiness to complete the challenge. We encourage you to select someone that will be available during the challenge to offer guidance and support. Forward the instructor this link.
4. Submit a completed application and instructor endorsement by December 8. 
5. Students will be notified by email on approximately December 15.

Email ncyte@whatcom.edu with Virtual Cybersecurity Career Challenge Info Session in the subject line if you have questions about the application process or are unable to attend one of the info session meetings.

 

Senior Personnel, NCyTE Center
vnestler@csusb.edu