Fletcher students competed in annual cybersecurity strategy competition
Last month, two teams of students from The Fletcher School competed in the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, an annual cyber policy and strategy competition hosted by the Atlantic Council and the Strauss Center at the University of Texas, Austin. Blending interactive learning experiences and competition scenario exercises, the challenge attracts students from around the world who are interested in developing policy solutions to realistic cybersecurity threats.
Fletcher’s two teams were comprised of students from the Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) program and the Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Public Policy (MSCPP) program, and the Digital Diplomats advanced to the semifinals.
Five students reflected on their experience at the competition, the opportunity to apply their fields of study to the real world, and the value of team-based learning.
Applied International Affairs Education
The competition was a great opportunity to put our Fletcher education into practice by developing policy responses to a fictional pre-positioning cyberattack on U.S. critical infrastructure. It required us to integrate technical, diplomatic, and international law considerations into a cohesive strategy.
It tied in perfectly with my fields of study, International Security and Technology Policy. It pushed me to think about the cascading effects cyber crises can have on people, public health, and emergency services, while also carefully navigating diplomatic responses and potential fallout. It was especially valuable to receive feedback from industry experts on our recommended policy options, and sharpen my technical understanding.
-Emilia von Albertini, F26
Honing Hard Skills to Confront Cyber Challenges
I focus on technology policy and international security so I think the competition was perfect. It allowed me to practice the policies and challenges I studied in my classes while also allowing me to bring the non-tangible skills I gain from my classes like strategic planning, analytical frameworks for public policy decisions, memo writing, presentation skills, and executive briefings. It allowed me to apply the technical challenges I studied in my technology and cyber classes and think about how I can help decision makers mitigate challenges arising from those technologies.
-Betselot Dejene, F26
Fields of Study for Real-World Problems
Cyber 9/12 was a great chance to put theory and global perspectives from classes at Fletcher to practice. My fields of study are International Security and Technology Policy, so strategic frameworks and technical perspectives were extremely helpful. But the interdisciplinary education Fletcher provides gave both of the Fletcher teams a great advantage. Even if we were not experts on water security or public health matters, which came up in this year's scenario, Fletcher prepared us to tackle these issues head-on.
During the Q&A portion, a 10-minute session where judges asked teams questions about their policy proposal after their oral briefing, a judge asked a tough question about whether the cyber attack constituted a declaration of war. My teammates both handled this question together, addressing the security and legal (specifically international law) implications of such a declaration. It was an exciting moment where we really felt like we were putting what we learned directly from our international law courses!
-Dennis Liu, F26
Navigating Challenges Under Pressure
Participating in Cyber 9/12 was an intense and rewarding experience that sharpened my ability to navigate complex cyber policy challenges under pressure. And I honestly cannot wait for the next iteration.
The competition strengthened my teamwork, strategic thinking, and crisis communication skills while bridging the gap between cybersecurity and global governance. It was not just about solutions, but about crafting balanced, realistic policy responses in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, in a team that was so lovely to work with. Forever grateful for the opportunity!
-Shreyanshi Sikaria, F27
A Cohort for Camaraderie
To me, Cyber 9/12 represents the types of challenges that the Cyber Security & Public Policy (CSPP) degree is meant to address. As more and more sectors get digitalized, cybersecurity challenges become less of a matter of computers and strategy and more a whole-of-society challenge. The CSPP degree takes technical aspects of cybersecurity and shows how they lead to broader policy challenges, the types that very much come up during Cyber 9/12.
More than any memory, my favorite experience was the sheer camaraderie of both Fletcher teams. We stuck together, watched each other compete, and explored Austin together. That kind of closeness felt incredible.
-Jake Hollander, F28
Read more about experiential learning at The Fletcher School and The Hitachi Center for Technology and International Affairs.