2024: Work at CACI While You Study

Get immersed in real-world cybersecurity issues and gain mentored work experience while earning $25 an hour as part of the CCI Project-Based Learning Program in partnership with CACI.

Five students were selected for this program, which will support CACI’s Cyber Mission Operations Team.

Tasks will include generating, documenting, and implementing a project plan to create and  build a repository of approximately 30 challenges to be used for CACI capture-the-flag (CTF) employee and outreach events.

CACI will provide account access, demonstrate the range, and create challenge categories. 

The project is part of CCI’s mission of Workforce Development.

What You'll Do 

• Create Jeopardy!-style challenges, and identify categories.
• Identify testing process workflow-and-acceptance criteria by testing flag, difficulty level, and repeatability.
• Implement testing process.
• Determine roles of team members. 
  
• Determine technical requirements (access and system resources).
• Provide challenges for various CTF events throughout the year (for example, at George Mason's Patriot CTF).
  
• Build a repository of approximately 30 CTF challenges to be used for CACI employee and outreach events
• Finish challenges by Dec. 3, 2024.

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for the program, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Be enrolled at a Virginia institution of higher education within the CCI network institution of higher education during the duration of the project
• Have completed one year of school (or will have completed one year or earned 30 credits when the program starts in fall 2024).
• Be enrolled in cybersecurity or cyber-related courses. 
• Commit to the program from Sept. 6 to Dec. 3, 2024.
• Have access to a computer or laptop.
• Demonstrate an interest in cybersecurity (for example, Hack the Box or other online capture-the-flag-style activities, belong to a cyber club, etc).

Program Requirements

If selected for the program, during the academic year, you will:

• Work in teams on a cybersecurity project.
• Dedicate a minimum of six hours/a maximum of eight hours per week to the program.
• Attend weekly mandatory virtual meetings with CACI Cyber Missions Operations point of contact every Friday from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
• Schedule another one to two hours a week for group work. The meeting time will be determined with a student poll. Everyone must attend.
• Attend monthly demonstrations to report status and test results with CACI Cyber Missions Operations point of contact.
  
• Complete the CCI Clearance Preparedness Program.
• Attend in-person and virtual mandatory meetings.
• Participate in project-related tasks.
• Inform your university/college advisor of project participation.
  

Expectations

This is a professional opportunity, and you’re expected to conduct yourself in a manner befitting a professional environment.

You will be held accountable for attending meetings and actively participating in project-related tasks. Failure to meet these expectations could result in your dismissal and forfeiture of your stipend. You must:

• Meet participation requirements. If you don’t, your advisor will be notified once via email that you’re in danger of being dismissed. 
• Resolve any attendance and participation issues. Failure to do so will result in your dismissal, and you and your advisor will be notified.
• Attend 90 percent of mandatory meetings.
• Participate in project-related tasks.

Participate in CCI’s Project-Based Learning Program

If you're interested in seeing this program at your school or sponsoring such a program at your company, please contact Sarah Hayes at sshayes@vt.edu.