Cyber Defense Education & Training - President’s Cup Awards Ceremony

On May 20, the Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) recognized the winners and other finalists of the 2024 President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition during a ceremony hosted at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building (EEOB). The President’s Cup is an annual cybersecurity competition that identifies, recognizes, and rewards the best cyber talent across the federal workforce.  

The teams and individuals were recognized by National Cyber Director Harry Coker Jr., CISA Director Jen Easterly, NSA Deputy Director Wendy Noble, Federal Chief Information Officer Clare Martorana, and Assistant National Cyber Director Seeyew Mo.  

The 2024 first place teams winners were Team “Artificially Intelligent” with participants from the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force. The winner of the 2024 Individuals Track A was U.S. Army Major Nolan Miles. And the winner of the 2024 Individuals Track B was Staff Sergeant Michael Torres from the U.S. Marine Corps. 

The evolving nature of cyber threats underscores the urgent requirement for diverse and skilled cyber talent in this country. CISA realizes the significance of providing impactful training and resources to future and current cyber professionals, while also fostering a network-oriented model and hands-on learning experiences that enhance collaboration, partnership, and the proficient navigation of everyday technology with safety and integrity at the forefront.   

As the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition demonstrates, the federal government has a host of exceptional cyber professionals dedicated to safeguarding our nation’s security. CISA developed this interactive competition to invest in the professional development of federal employees and bring awareness to having skilled talent in cybersecurity careers. This year’s competition provided a unique training opportunity that included an interactive story-based video game featuring a series of challenges aligned to the NICE Framework Work Roles to enhance and embrace participant’s skills as they outwit and outthink their competitors.  

This year the President’s Cup introduced a new element to the competition that offered an immersive, hands-on experience. The ICScape room provided challengers with a realistic and relatable scenario, compelling them to apply their expertise, teamwork, and collaboration skills to achieve optimal solutions. CISA’s mission of leading the national effort to comprehend, mitigate and reduce risk to our cyber and physical infrastructure perfectly aligns with this innovative approach and all the multi-faceted challenges included in this competition. It emphasizes the significance of providing authentic, real-life experiences that promote teamwork and collaboration, thus highlighting the diverse backgrounds and perspectives of each challenger. 

 Get Ready for the 6th Annual President’s Cup Competition!  

Excitement is building for President's Cup 6, taking place in early 2025. Competitors can participate as part of a team, as individuals, or both. The 6th annual Competition will launch January 2025 on PresidentsCup.cisa.gov. For all federal employees interested in participating, you will need a “.gov” or “.mil” email address to sign up. Participants’ current job function does not need to be focused on cybersecurity.  

Want to gear up for next year’s competition? Prepare for registration day by exploring the practice challenges in the President’s Cup Practice Area. to further enhance your skills! For more information, email presidentscup@cisa.dhs.gov or visit cisa.gov/presidentscup.