Cyber students and instructors compete in 'DC3' challenge Published March 14, 2012 By 2nd Lt. Tara Roznovak Former 333rd Training Squadron student KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Once a year in January, the Defense Cyber Crime Center issues a 10-month challenge to the world to solve unique digital forensic problems. The 333rd Training squadron has sponsored two student teams and one team of staff members for the challenge held this year. In 2011, the 333rd TRS team placed second in the competition against 68 other teams. The team members were 2nd Lts. David Musielewicz, Justin Warner, Alex Larson, and Robby Winchester. This competition is based on individual scenario-based progressive level challenges. The purpose of the challenge is to solve current issues facing the digital forensics community and to interest students in the cyber security, cyber investigations and digital forensics fields. The objectives are to establish relationships, resolve issues, and develop new and creative tools and techniques. Each team is challenged on five different levels. The levels become progressively more difficult in the development of the solutions for each given scenario. Level 100 is the "novice" level in which there are well-known solutions to the challenge. Examples include file signatures, suspicious software, and hashing metadata. Level 200 is the "advanced" level with known solutions and includes challenges with data hiding, file headers, and passwords. Level 300 is the "expert" level with much more difficult challenges. Team members are required to provide solutions for intrusions, cracking, and data recovery. The "master" level, level 400, has no known unclassified solutions for the challenges. The teams have to solve issues with encryption, virtualization, and steganography to name a few. The most difficult level is the "developer" level, or level 500. This level requires the teams to develop tools for issues such as automation or data recovery. Capt Paul Brandau, a current UCT instructor, stated that "Cyberspace warriors of today and tomorrow must not be one dimensional. To be good attackers, we have to be good defenders and vice-versa. Nothing helps hone our Airmen's skills like practical challenges that teach them to step outside of standard training and challenge themselves to learn more." For more information go to www.dc3.mil.