February 11, 2026
Duke Cybersecurity students were recently selected as semifinalists at the 2026 Collegiate Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge in Austin, Texas. The competition was hosted by the Atlantic Council in partnership with the Strauss Center for International Security and Law at the University of Texas at Austin.
Duke Cyber sent two teams of graduate and undergraduate students to compete: the Cyber Crazies (Angie Feng, Jeanette Pan (Eng), Kelly Yin, Yinuo Tong) and 504 Bhad Gateway (Austin Sandoval, Delaney McLaughlin, Michael Saju (MEng), Moonwon Seo). The Cyber Crazies advanced to the semifinals as one of 12 teams selected from a competitive field.
Throughout the weekend, students tackled a realistic cyber crisis scenario involving an Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) pre-positioning campaign targeting critical water infrastructure. Teams were tasked with drafting policy briefs and defending their strategic recommendations before “mock” National Security Council panels composed of senior professionals from the National Security Agency, Office of Management and Budget, Microsoft, Anthropic, leading universities, and prominent cyber policy think tanks.
For many students, the competition highlighted the interdisciplinary nature of cybersecurity and the importance of translating technical expertise into policy action.
“Austin Cyber 9/12 let me channel my technical background into breaking down complex systems and communicating them to decision-makers in high-pressure, real-world scenarios,” said Jeanette Pan (Electrical and Computer Engineering, 2029). “What stood out most was the inherently interdisciplinary nature of cyber and the discussions I had with my teammates, competitors, and judges from a variety of backgrounds. I’m incredibly grateful to our coaches, Kim and Jim, and to Duke Cyber for their support throughout the process.”
Michael Saju (M.Eng., Artificial Intelligence) emphasized the importance of clarity in high-stakes settings. “Focus on balancing depth and clarity. You want to have the best understanding of the solution, but you need to convey that understanding in the decision document for them to be able to read it in 2 minutes.”
Other competitors reflected on the broader policy and collaboration lessons they gained from the experience. “My biggest takeaway from the Austin Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge is the importance of local and state partners in cybersecurity,” said Angie Feng (Public Policy/Computer Science, 2028). “As the keynote speaker from the Office of the National Cyber Director told our team, ‘cyberattacks start and end local.’ Our solutions emphasized collaboration with state governments and private sector capabilities to help under-resourced critical infrastructure recover and strengthen cyber resilience. I’m grateful for my teammates, our coaches, and the Duke Cyber community for their dedication, enthusiasm, and support!”
Kelly Yin (Public Policy/Computer Science, 2028) described the event as an opportunity to engage deeply with national security challenges. “The Cyber 9/12 Challenge in Austin, TX provided an amazing opportunity to engage with realistic cybersecurity scenarios affecting national security. Analyzing sophisticated cyber threats and developing policy recommendations challenged me to think critically about technical, diplomatic, and strategic dimensions of cyber incidents. It also allowed me to hear from cybersecurity professionals who work in the industry. I’m grateful to Duke Cyber, our coaches, and my team for an awesome experience!”
Delaney McLaughlin (M.A., Applied Ethics and Policy) highlighted the relationships built during the competition. “This experience was made special by the people I got to share it with. I’m incredibly thankful for my team, our coach (Major General Brett Williams, former CYBERCOM senior leader), the undergraduate team, and the mentors who supported us throughout. Even though we didn’t win, I couldn’t have asked for a better group to travel with and learn alongside. I learned so much from the people around me and am truly grateful for everything this experience gave me.”
Faculty advisor and coach Professor Kim Kotlar praised both teams and emphasized the value of institutional support. “We continue to be grateful for the support provided by Pratt, AGS, the Alumni Association, and the student government that allows our students with diverse skills and talents to participate in policy and technical cyber competitions. The teams were fantastic and showed just how important collaboration is to solving challenging cyber problems. Some of the best elements of participating in Cyber 9-12 competitions are opportunities to learn real-world skills, like executive briefing, writing, and research, that will serve them well as they pursue internships and future careers.”
Long-time coach Mr. Jim Hargrove echoed that pride. “I am so proud of our Cyber 9-12 Austin competition team, the Cyber Crazies. They represented themselves and Duke University exceptionally well.”
Building on this success, Duke Cyber Club is preparing to send another team to the Atlantic Council Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge in Washington, D.C., this March. The club welcomes undergraduate and graduate students from all academic backgrounds who are interested in engaging with cybersecurity from either a policy or technical perspective.