TAFE SA Cyber Security students have put their skills to the test in the high-pressure environment of a national competition and achieved outstanding results.

TAFE SA teams finished third and fourth in the inaugural Cyber Battle Australia, held at the Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre (Aus3C) at Lot Fourteen in July.

The ‘capture the flag’ competition, modelled on similar events across the world, was open to cyber security students from the TAFE and university sectors in Australia.

More than 250 competitors took part in a one-day virtual bootcamp covering topics such as finding and exploiting vulnerabilities in IT systems before the initial heats of the competition.

Fifty students made it to the final, including six from TAFE SA’s cyber security program who competed in two teams of three, working to counter cyber threats in a series of challenging tasks.

Participant Jack Webb, part of TAFE SA’s third-placed team, says he enjoyed being able to push the limits of his knowledge and learn new skills “on the fly”.

“It was incredibly satisfying to finally crack each problem where we'd been wracking our brains for ages,” he says.

“I really enjoyed celebrating each other as we each solved problems using our unique skills in different areas.”

Jack described the final at Aus3C as “high pressure” and says he is thrilled to have gained experience in communicating and working as a team in that kind of environment.

“It was also an awesome opportunity to meet other students and connect with people in the industry,” he says.

“It sparked my interest in new areas I hadn't considered before, like OSINT (open source intelligence), forensics, and reverse engineering.”

Fellow cyber security student Ethan Hansford agrees the opportunity to test his skills against “some of the best emerging hackers in the country” has been invaluable.

“This experience was a game-changer for me,” he says.

“I developed my skills in programming, cryptography, forensics, and web security.

“Each challenge taught me new ways to approach problems and think creatively.

“I now have a deeper understanding of various cyber security tools and techniques, which has strengthened my confidence and skill set.”

Ethan says one of the most challenging aspects was the rapid pace of the competition, which required quick thinking and adaptability.

“It was incredibly satisfying when we succeeded; the sense of achievement after each solved challenge was unmatched,” he says.

Ethan says the support and guidance of his TAFE SA lecturers throughout his studies were crucial in preparing him for the competition.

TAFE SA delivers the Certificate IV in Cyber Security, the first national skills-based certificate level qualification, online and at the Adelaide Campus.

Pictured: TAFE SA’s Cyber Security stream leader Karina Miegel with the students who participated in the final of Cyber Battle Australia.