Discover T.A.C.T.
The Tigris Academic Competition Team at Gulf Coast State College is a club designed to enhance and show off the skills of cybersecurity students.
What is T.A.C.T?
Tigris Academic Competition Team (or T.A.C.T. for short) was started at Gulf Coast nearly 5 years ago by Professor Garett. During that time, it ran under the name “Corps Tigris” before switching over to its current name under the guidance of Professor Dennis Dillenschnieder, who’s headed the club for the past two years now. It is worth noting that the name “Corps Tigris” still appears on many of the club’s artworks, advertisements, and on its official Gulf Coast page- the new name is still very much so a recent change. The team’s number usually ranges from 5-6 students who are well-versed in cybersecurity and computer programming.
Words From the Advisor
I got a chance to speak with Dillenschnieder, who gave me a better look into the club and what it’s about.
He explained to me that “the team goes out and registers for competitions against other colleges . . . and showcase the skills that they have learned through Gulf Coast in the cybersecurity world.”
Binary Barrier to Entry
Through competitions, the TACT team enters alongside other college teams in simulated environments where they must attack and defend a network. This live demonstration of offensive and defensive cybersecurity takes students outside of the classroom and promotes competition for this unique field.
The club itself is not just limited to Cybersecurity, however- Dillenschnieder told me that any students were welcome to join as long as they were experienced with cybersecurity and coding.
To aid in this determination is the club’s unique entrance exam. This exam starts with a printed binary code that, once deciphered, will lead students to a website specifically designed with the intention of being hacked into. The student must then successfully attack the website in order to be permitted to join. This bar-to-entry makes it so that joining the club is skill-based- and not necessarily reliant on a specific major or area of study.
Club Offices
The club’s offices include a single role of Team Chief. It was mentioned that previously the club featured a ranking system similar to today’s military’s; however, this was revamped under Dillenschnieder’s leadership. Tact’s current Team Chief is Katherine Murphy. It’s worth noting that the website currently lists the role of “Master Chief” to team member “Dana Petty”; in an email, Dillenschnieder confirmed to me that this was simply a leftover title from the old system.
Not Like the Movies
I was impressed by this information- giving students with cybersecurity knowledge a way to express and showcase their talents in a competitive environment seems invaluable, and the brotherhood that comes from a group setting and working towards a common goal cannot be understated. However, Dillenschnieder noted that it’s not always bright and flashy.
“It’s a lot of fun, but it’s also a lot of code work.” He told me how some people misconceive coding and hacking for how it’s portrayed in many of today’s movies- fast, quick-paced typing against the clock in an action-packed montage. In reality, it’s often “hours and hours” of writing and reading lines and lines and lines of code. It’s not as flashy, but he insists it’s still as rewarding as long as you have a passion.
“If you like programming, and you like writing code for websites and scripts, then this is a great field.”
Contact
For more information, contact Dennis Dillenschnieder at:
ddillensc@gulfcoast.edu
Phone: (850) 769-1551 ext. 2817
Or visit the Corps Tigris webpage.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Seth Johnson
Student Author - Fall 2020
