DayZero Wins Cyber Fire Puzzle Competition
Posted on August 26, 2026
The University of South Alabama School of Computing’s DayZero cybersecurity competition team took first place at the Cyber Fire Puzzle competition hosted by Auburn University. This marks the second consecutive year that a School of Computing team has competed in the event. Last year, the team finished fourth.
Created by the U.S. Department of Energy and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Cyber Fire Puzzles is a hands-on cybersecurity competition that challenges students with problems rooted in mathematics, computer science and cybersecurity. Competitors work through increasingly difficult challenges involving topics such as number sequences, base conversion, network forensics, cryptography, reverse engineering, malware analysis and packet capture analysis.
The competition is designed to mirror the types of challenges cybersecurity professionals encounter in critical infrastructure, national security and private industry. Participants from the University of South Alabama, Auburn University and the University of Alabama competed to solve problems ranging from beginner-level exercises to expert-level puzzles.
In addition to the competition, LANL provided educational sessions focused on digital forensics, giving students an opportunity to develop practical skills they can apply beyond the competition.
“This competition is great practice for our team,” said Chad Callegari, instructor and DayZero faculty sponsor. “Our next event is the 2026 U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) CyberForce® Competition in Tinley Park, Illinois, just outside Chicago. It’s a much larger competition that brings together colleges from across the country. We spend weeks preparing, and we’ll begin getting ready as soon as next week.”
The first-place finish gives the DayZero team strong momentum as members prepare for their next competition and continue developing the technical skills needed for careers in cybersecurity.
