Nov. 21, 2024

Ferris State Information Security and Intelligence students make strong showing in Big Ten Academic Alliance competition

Ferris State Information Security and Intelligence students participate in Big Ten competition — Janek Vedock, (left) a second-year Information Security and Intelligence student at Ferris State University and Paul Mellas, a second year ISI student from Waterford took first and second as non-affiliated participants in the Big Ten Academic Alliance’s Cybersecurity Game Show 2024, an informal virtual competition in late October.

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. —

Students in Ferris State University’s nationally known Information Security and Intelligence program shined in a recent Big Ten Academic Alliance Cybersecurity Gameshow 2024, an online contest for teams from Big Ten member institutions and guests from other colleges and universities.

Ferris State ISI students, taking part unaffiliated, took six of the top 15 places, with second-year student Janek Vedock finishing first overall and fellow second-year student Paul Mellas earning second-place honors.

The event is structured more for bragging rights than trophies, and the competition is designed in part to offer practical tips people can use to protect their digital world.

“This competition was not something that we knew much about going in, but it was not difficult to give them the answers they were seeking,” said Vedock, of Pennsylvania. “I think that has a lot to say about the quality of instruction in cybersecurity we are getting here at Ferris.”

This competition was an invitation too appealing to pass up.

“I was approached to take part by one of our professors, who thought it would be a good experience and test of our knowledge,” said Mellas, a second-year ISI student from Waterford. “This was the first competition I participated in of that size and style. Because it was virtual, there was no interaction with the other schools’ participants.”

Vedock transferred to Ferris State from his home state because of its Information Security and Intelligence program’s reputation as a national leader with faculty recognized as subject-matter experts.

Ferris State’s ISI ranks fourth out of 91 in faculty credentials and training and 14th out of 91 in Best Online Master’s in Information Technology Programs by U.S. News and World Report.

“I was very thankful that they put on this event and allowed us to take part in it,” he said.

October, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, was a platform for The Big Ten Academic Alliance to partner with the National Cybersecurity Alliance to host the fast-paced online game show competition held via Zoom, featuring 20 questions focused on digital security.

Ferris State offers the only cybersecurity program in Michigan accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and was the first accredited online cybersecurity program in the United States.