Join us in exploring cybersecurity, competing in national competitions, and building the next generation of security professionals.
The Tennessee Tech Cyber Security Clubs are dedicated to fostering cybersecurity awareness, education, networking and hands-on experience among students. We provide a collaborative environment where members can develop practical skills in cyber security.
Our clubs regularly participates in competitions like CCDC, CPTC, CyberForce, InfoSec, eCTF and many more. Our clubs also hosts meetings and labs on security tools and techniques weekly, and connects students with industry professionals and internship opportunities.
The Tennessee Tech Defensive Cyber Interest Group DCIG is a student-led group of aspiring cybersecurity professionals with the goal of educating the next generation of defensive security experts. We hold biweekly meetings that cover topics ranging from the basics of Windows security to enterprise network hardening. We pride ourselves on creating high quality lectures and hands-on labs that provide applicable knowledge for industry certifications and careers.
Lead: Chandler Cook Discord: kyr0sz
The Tennessee Tech Offensive Cyber Interest Group OCIG is a student-led group dedicated to exploring the world of offensive security. We meet biweekly to cover topics in red teaming, penetration testing, and other areas of ethical hacking. We want to help members understand what offensive security is, how itโs applied in the real world, and how to build the skills needed to succeed in the field. Through hands-on activities, discussions, and learning opportunities, we provide a space for anyone, whether new or experienced, to practice, grow, and prepare for careers in cybersecurity.
Lead: Nicholas Liverett Discord: nliverett7
The Tennessee Tech Capture the Flag Cyber Interest Group CCIG is a student-led group where members can hone their skills across the various domains of cybersecurity. This is done through the use of Capture the Flag competitions, where students are asked to find a "flag", a string of text, that is hidden in websites or programs. Through bi-weekly hands-on meetings, we will cover various topics such as web exploitation, cryptography, digital forensics, reverse engineering, and much more! Our goal is to provide a environment for the learning and growth of all students as they continue in cybersecurity.
Lead: Jmac Brentlinger Discord: ultramac16
The Tennessee Tech Women in Cybersecurity Club WICYS is to help build a strong gender-diverse cybersecurity workforce by facilitating recruitment, retention, and advancement for women in the field. As a member of WiCys, you have access to all the resources and opportunities provided by your network. From community groups to career fairs, scholarships to speaking opportunities, and much more. Join us in our regular meetings to hear from cyber professionals, engage in hands-on technical demonstrations, and social outings. We are all-inclusive, and welcome people interested in cyber from all levels of skill and majors.
Lead: Danny Hernandez Discord: danny_or_michelle
The Tennessee Tech club Cyber Eagles is a student-led organization fostering a holistic understanding of the cybersecurity industry. We provide a dynamic forum for engagement, hosting industry speakers to share professional insights and showcasing student experiences from competitions, internships, and various academic endeavors. Our goal is to connect students with real-world perspectives, prepare them for diverse career paths, and enhance overall professional readiness in cybersecurity.
Lead: Behnjamin Barlow Discord: n1ghtwa1k3r
The Tennessee Tech Cyber Security Club Competition Club is a student-led group dedicated to teaching and preparing students for cybersecurity competitions and industry. It is meant for more advanced students, but everyone is welcome to attend. Both blue team and red team topics are being covered depending on the semester. Meetings are held bi-weekly which cover topics such as Windows, Linux, service hardening, threat hunting, website, Active Directory, and various pentesting methodologies.
Lead: Landon Foister Discord: foister150
This is the premier national defensive competition where teams act as "Blue Teams" inheriting and securing a corporate network. Your team must maintain critical services and handle business tasks while actively defending against a live "Red Team" of professional hackers. It tests system administration, incident response, and security hardening skills.
๐ Typical Schedule: January โ April
Focusing on offensive security and professional consulting, CPTC tasks your team with mimicking a security firm performing a real-world penetration test. Scoring emphasizes not just technical findings, but also the quality of the final report and professional presentation of vulnerabilities and recommendations to business judges.
๐ Regional Events: October/November
Sponsored by the Department of Energy (DOE), this competition focuses on defending critical infrastructure (CI) and industrial control systems (ICS), often centered on the energy grid. The competition format integrates the core blue-team defense scenario with a CTF/puzzle component to challenge students across multiple skill sets and test their ability to handle real-world threats and related security tasks. Teams must balance security with the operational function of these vital systems, facing realistic CI-focused threats.
๐ National Competition: November
An accessible, semester-long competition designed for students to develop and test practical, industry-relevant cybersecurity skills across diverse categories like Forensics, Cryptography, and Network Traffic Analysis. Students receive a detailed Scouting Report showcasing their performance, which is valuable for job applications.
๏ฟฝ Spring Season: March/April | Fall Season: October/November
Stay up-to-date with all our upcoming meetings and events across our interest groups.
Ready to take your involvement to the next level? The TTU Cyber Security Club offers various leadership positions for motivated members who want to make a difference in our community.
Complete our leadership application form
Meet with current leadership team
Learn the ropes from experienced leaders
Our asynchronous labs are powered by Vagrant, a tool for building and maintaining portable virtual software development environments. Vagrant allows you to quickly set up and share consistent, reproducible lab environments, ensuring everyone has the same setup for hands-on practice.
Vagrant uses a provider like VirtualBox or VMware to manage virtual machines. Download and install it first.
Download VirtualBoxDownload the lab ZIP file (e.g., from below), extract it,
navigate to the extracted folder in your terminal, and run: vagrant up
Once the VM is up, you can connect to it via many methods
like SSH: vagrant ssh
Practice setting up, managing, and securing Active Directory and LDAP environments.
Learn to configure and manage network firewalls to protect systems from unauthorized access.
Develop skills in proactive threat detection and incident response within simulated environments.
Secure databases from common vulnerabilities and attacks, including SQL injection and misconfigurations.
Get hands-on with fundamental Windows and Linux commands and basic system administration tasks.