Payne helps coach U.S. to third-place cyber finish

University of North Georgia (UNG) faculty member Dr. Bryson Payne helped coach the U.S. Cyber Team to a third-place finish in the inaugural International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) held June 14-17 in Athens, Greece. Payne, a professor of computer science and coordinator of student cyber programs at UNG, served as one of multiple coaches for the U.S.

The U.S. team tallied 7,765 points, finishing behind first-place Europe and second-place Asia and ahead of teams from Oceania, Canada, Latin America, and Africa.

"It was a tough competition among the top cyber athletes from countries around the world, and it was an amazing experience to see our team compete at that level in Athens, Greece," Payne said. "We're looking forward to hosting the ICC in the United States next year, and we want every cyber student in the country to participate in the season 2 U.S. Cyber Open this July 8-17 for a shot at next year's team."

Students can sign up to participate in the U.S. Cyber Open on the U.S. Cyber Team website.