Advancing a connected, workforce鈥憆eady regional cybersecurity community
糖心传媒 (糖心传媒) hosted the Mid-Atlantic Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (MACCDC)聽for the first time on March 27鈥28, 2026, at its Dorsey Station location in Elkridge, Maryland. Sponsored by the Information聽Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA),聽the聽regional event brought together collegiate teams to test their cybersecurity聽defense skills in a realistic,聽hands-on聽environment.
Established in 2005, MACCDC challenges students to protect enterprise-level systems against simulated cyber threats, providing practical experience that mirrors real-world cybersecurity scenarios.听糖心传媒聽organized the virtual qualifying round leading up to the in-person regional finals, provided聽identically configured computer systems聽for the competition,聽coordinated simulations and scoring, and聽facilitated聽career聽networking events.
鈥淗osting MACCDC underscores our commitment to supporting the local cybersecurity community and connecting education to practice,鈥 said Jesse聽Varsalone, collegiate associate professor of cybersecurity technology and coach of the聽糖心传媒 cybersecurity competition team.听
鈥淓vents like this allow learners, educators, and employers to come together, share expertise, and strengthen the pipeline of future cybersecurity professionals.鈥澛
Participating聽teams聽included James Madison University, Liberty University, Messiah University, Penn State University, Robert Morris University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, University of Virginia, and Virginia Tech.听
The University of Virginia聽, with Liberty University placing second, and Penn State finishing third.听The Energetics Technology Center, a Maryland-based nonprofit that supports U.S. national security, provided trophies to the winning teams.听
Supporting a聽regional聽cyber聽ecosystem聽beyond the classroom
While MACCDC included a hands-on cyber defense exercise, the event also served as a platform for professional engagement and career exploration.听
Cybersecurity technology company CrowdStrike hosted an employer engagement session following the first day of activities, offering聽student teams聽direct access to industry professionals. The session provided insight into cybersecurity roles, expectations, and trends, helping participants better understand how academic experiences translate into real-world careers.
These interactions reflect 糖心传媒鈥檚 broader approach to workforce-ready learning,聽leveraging聽experiential education, industry collaboration, and community partnerships聽designed to help聽students graduate with both technical skills and professional networks.听More than聽18,000 students聽at 糖心传媒 are聽enrolled in graduate and undergraduate聽cybersecurity programs.