School of Computing Students Place at ISC2 Capture the Flag for Novices Hackathon
The free cybersecurity competition is designed for students, professionals, and enthusiasts to learn, collaborate, and compete
Posted in: Awards and Recognition, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Students
On March 21, 2026, students from the School of Computing at Montclair State University participated in the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter’s 3rd annual Capture the Flag for Novices 2026 hackathon, hosted at Saint Peter’s University in Jersey City, NJ. The event brought together approximately 200 participants from over 20 colleges, universities, and organizations across the state for a full day of interactive learning and challenges in cryptography, web exploitation, digital forensics, and network defense. The hackathon emphasized problem-solving, teamwork, and practical cybersecurity skills.
Montclair State student teams demonstrated strong technical ability and collaboration, earning first place and third place among dozens of competing teams. This marks a significant improvement from the University’s fourth place finish at the same event in 2025, reflecting the continued growth of the university’s hands on cybersecurity education and experiential learning programs. The teams competed across challenges in network defense, forensic analysis, and web exploitation areas identified as critical skill gaps in the national cybersecurity workforce.
Student Teams and Placements
The Hawkers – First Place
- Samuel Reyes
- Edwin Benitez
- James Barrera
- Islam Salah
- Temi Salami
CyberHawks – Third Place
- Dina Mansour
- Fernanda Castro
- Krishita Vaghani
- Tushar Moradiya
- Benita Prince
Multiple teams of students were organized, trained, and mentored by Ramy Othman, Assistant Director of Technology and Infrastructure in the College of Science and Mathematics. Othman prepared the students through hands-on workshops in applied cybersecurity techniques, including network traffic analysis, vulnerability assessment, and forensic investigation leveraging the university’s dedicated Cybersecurity and AI research labs, which he built and manages. These labs provide students with enterprise-grade computing and give them direct experience with the tools used in industry and government cybersecurity operations.
The university’s participation was coordinated in collaboration with the ISC2 New Jersey Chapter, with Darryl Carpenter helping facilitate the team’s engagement with the event.