Hofstra Students Outsmart Rivals in Thrilling Amazon Cybersecurity Showdown

Hofstra Students Outsmart Rivals in Thrilling Amazon Cybersecurity Showdown

• A Hofstra University computer science team won the Amazon-sponsored Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition.
• Students solved hands-on challenges in web security, cryptography, reverse engineering and forensics.
• Hofstra teams took first and second place out of 10 finalist teams.
• The result adds to Hofstra’s growing reputation in cybersecurity education.

Two Hofstra teams on top

Hofstra’s win in an Amazon-sponsored cybersecurity competition is a useful signal of how employers and universities are valuing hands-on security problem solving, not just classroom theory. Events like this matter because they pressure students to work through realistic scenarios under time constraints, which is much closer to actual security work than passive academic study.

How the competition worked

Hofstra’s Fred DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science hosted the final round of the Amazon-sponsored Capture the Flag (CTF) Competition at the university’s Cybersecurity Innovation and Research Center in November 2025. The top 10 teams, from an initial field of 19 teams representing six universities, competed for $12,000 in prizes. Teams hunted for hidden “flags” inside puzzles covering web security, cryptography, reverse engineering and forensics, scoring points for each correct answer.

The Path to Victory: Hofstra’s Edge

Hofstra’s Team GUS, computer science majors Mani Tofigh and Aadil Alli, took first place and the $6,000 top prize. Assistant professor of computer science Sherwin Shen said the students handled many hard problems “without any dedicated training for this event.” He credited the curriculum.

The rest of the podium

Another Hofstra team, Script Kiddies, made up of Raham Butt and Trevor Conley, finished second and won $4,000. Third place went to St. John’s University’s team, CyberStorm Omega. Team GUS said it prepared by reviewing topics from Hofstra’s Ethical Hacking course and brushing up on tools the students already used in their research jobs.

Repercussions and Reflections: Beyond the Competition

The result highlights Hofstra’s growing role in cybersecurity education. Employers want practical skills. “Competing against other universities pushed us to think critically and apply what we’ve learned in class to solve the problems,” Alli said.

What the win means for Hofstra

For Hofstra, finishing first and second is a strong showing. Demand for skilled security professionals keeps growing as more of the economy moves online, and competitions like this one give students real practice while giving employers a look at who can perform when the clock is running and the puzzles get harder. Other schools may take note.

Dan Evert, CCNP

Dan Evert is a self proclaimed Router Jockey. Dan got heavily involved in networking right out of high school and has never looked back! Dan is giving back by working with high school students to get them involved and interested in Networking and Security.