Two teams from St. John's University participated in the Virtual Internship and Varied Innovative Demonstrations (VIVID) Cyber Competition, competing against over 90 other collegiate teams nationwide. This event is known for challenging students with various cybersecurity exercises.

"VIVID was an amazing and intense experience," stated team member Brandon Singh. "I have only been on the team for a year, and already feel like I’ve learned so much."

The students were coached by Rahul S. Karnik, Associate Director of Information Security and Adjunct Professor at the Department of Business Analytics and Information Systems. Mr. Karnik led their preparation for both the March qualifiers and November finals.

"I'm thrilled that both of our teams made it to the VIVID finals and performed exceptionally well," Mr. Karnik said. "The teams put in tremendous effort leading up to the finals, enduring long and exhausting days throughout the competition. Yet, they remained focused and united."

The final round took place virtually during the week of November 11 at the Georgia Cyber Range in Augusta, GA, where 14 teams faced a variety of challenges that offered real-world experience. After three months of preparation, one St. John's team achieved an eighth-place ranking.

"On the first day of the competition, I was anxiously questioning if I even belonged there with the rest of my peers and competitors," Brandon remarked. "But after the incredible time we had, I want to try this again—and next time, I know my team and I will work harder to land a higher spot, maybe even number one!"