When students get the chance to put their cybersecurity skills to the test, the experience can look a lot different than learning from a textbook. During AFCEA TechNet Augusta 2026, Parsons gave middle and high school students that opportunity through a Capture the Flag competition hosted at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University.
As a resident partner at Georgia Cyber Center, Parsons brought the competition to our facility as part of TechNet Augusta, giving students a chance to work through cybersecurity challenges, test their technical skills and compete alongside other students from across the region.
The 2026 AFCEA TechNet Augusta High School & Middle School Capture the Flag competition brought together 108 students across 31 teams.
Putting Cybersecurity Skills to the Test 
Capture the Flag, commonly known as CTF, is a hands-on cybersecurity competition where participants solve a series of challenges to find hidden information, or “flags.” Depending on the challenge, students may need to use skills related to areas such as cybersecurity, networking, programming, digital forensics and problem solving.
For students interested in cybersecurity careers, competitions like this provide an opportunity to take what they have learned in the classroom and apply it to real challenges.
And there was plenty of competition.
High School Winners
🥇 1st Place: Hard Drive, Greenbrier High School
🥈 2nd Place: ZIF Switch, Greenbrier High School
🥉 3rd Place: Jump Drive, Greenbrier High School
Middle School Winners
🥇 1st Place: Patriot_Cyber, Paul Knox Middle School
🥈 2nd Place: Blue Pumpkin, Augusta Preparatory Day School
🥉 3rd Place: Pack Hunters, Greenbrier Middle School
Congratulations to all of the students who participated, especially this year’s winning teams!
Building Interest in Cybersecurity 
One of the best parts of hosting students at the Georgia Cyber Center at Augusta University is seeing them engage with cybersecurity in a hands-on way. A Capture the Flag competition gives students a chance to experience the problem-solving and teamwork that are such an important part of the field.
For some students, an event like this may also be an early look at what a future in cybersecurity could look like.
Parsons shared its hope that students left the competition with new skills, new experiences and an even greater interest in pursuing cybersecurity in the future. With 108 students participating this year, the event offered plenty of opportunities for students to learn from the experience and from one another.
Parsons as a Resident Partner at Georgia Cyber Center
Parsons’ involvement in TechNet Augusta is a great example of how our resident partners contribute to the cybersecurity community in Augusta and beyond.
Through its presence at Georgia Cyber Center, Parsons has an opportunity to connect with students, industry professionals, government organizations and others working across the cybersecurity field. Hosting the Capture the Flag competition at our facility added another dimension to that partnership by bringing students directly into the environment where cybersecurity education, industry and government come together.
We are glad to have Parsons as part of our resident partner community and appreciate the work they are doing to introduce students to cybersecurity through hands-on experiences!
Thank You to the Teams Behind the Competition 
A competition like this takes more than the students who show up on competition day. Parsons also recognized the teachers, coaches, mentors, parents and school representatives who supported students and helped make their participation possible.
Several organizations helped make the 2026 AFCEA TechNet Augusta Capture the Flag competition possible, including SOFtact Solutions, Security Onion Solutions, Millennium Corporation, the CSRA Alliance for Fort Gordon and the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon.
Thank you to everyone who helped make the event a success, and congratulations again to all 108 students who took on the challenge!
We look forward to seeing where these students take their cybersecurity skills next.
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