“In cybersecurity not only did I find a new career, I also found an amazing community! Thanks to WiCyS and the Cyber Defense Challenge made possible by Target that was run in 2022, I discovered the deep passion in malware analysis and reverse engineering that pushed me to pursue it as a career path. Now, a little over a year after ending up in the top 10 of that challenge, I just started a new adventure after landing a role as a malware reverse engineer and CTI analyst for a Fortune 6 company.“

“My philosophy has always been you will only know if you like something if you try it. Well-designed, well-executed challenges such as the Target Cyber Defense Challenge play a critical role in helping people find their niche in cybersecurity. The Challenge gave me a better idea of my strengths, what I enjoy, and what areas of cyber could be my own niche. It allowed me to experience several areas of cybersecurity: malware analysis, reverse engineering, and active defense, as well as connect with Target subject matter experts and other participants. The Target staff was fantastic and encouraging when I felt less confident in my abilities. Excellent experience; I’d love to do it again!”

“Through this challenge I learned the importance of Cyber Defence and how a proactive approach involving Threat intelligence and Deep analysis would improve the security of systems and organizations. Providing an opportunity to investigate malware in a real world scenario, with experts from the team Target supporting the process was exceptional. Through its various stages, the competition has helped me to broaden my knowledge and improve my connections in the field of cyber security. Winning a WiCys scholarship is an honour and I am very honored to add this achievement to my professional portfolio.”

 “This challenge has given me the opportunity to have hands-on experience on what it’s like to be a malware analyst/reverse engineer. It made me realize that this is what I want to work towards in my career pivot from AppDev into cybersecurity. Being part of this challenge has been a truly rewarding and wonderful experience! Thank you to WiCyS and Target for this amazing opportunity!”

“The Target Cyber Defense Challenge was an incredible experience that introduced me to many new tools and libraries. The Target Team provided an amazing and supportive environment that encouraged participants to experiment and learn new technologies.”

“My biggest takeaway from the WiCyS Cyber Defense Challenge made possible by Target was confidence that when faced with a challenge I don’t know how to do, I can conquer that challenge with hard work, persistence, and supportive mentors. As an avid CTF participant, I wish this were a model followed by more organizations. This is the most I learned in the shortest amount of time that was immediately relevant to cybersecurity than any CTF I have ever done. Succeeding in this challenge was a highlight of my year.”