The National Security Agency/Central Security Service (NSA/CSS), Information Assurance Directorate will test information assurance professionals from the five U.S. service academies, the Naval Postgraduate School, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the Royal Military College of Canada during the 10th Annual Cyber Defense Exercise (CDX) 20-23 April 2010. Teams from the U.S. Air Force Academy, U.S. Coast Guard Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, U.S. Naval Academy, and West Point will compete to win the coveted CDX trophy. The exercise will be run in Lockheed Martin spaces at 7615 Ora Glen Avenue, Greenbelt, MD.

• Journalists interested in covering the event are invited to attend from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Thursday, 22 April 2010 and must reply to this e-mail or call the NSA Public and Media Affairs Office at (301) 688-6524 by 21 April 2010.
• The NSA/CSS Information Assurance Directorate sponsors this annual event.
• Cameras are not permitted on the premises, but photographs will be provided to media representatives who attend the CDX.

During the CDX exercise, network specialists tasked with securing the U.S. Government's most sensitive communication systems will challenge Service Academy teams in their ability to defend computer networks the students have designed, built and configured at their respective schools. The entire CDX is conducted on virtual private networks, providing a safe path for the exercise while preventing interference with real-world networks. A separate group of specialists will grade each team's ability to effectively maintain network services while detecting, responding to, and recovering from network security intrusions or compromises.

For more information about participating in the 2010 CDX Media Day, contact the NSA Public and Media Affairs Office via phone on 301-688-6524 or by email nsapao@nsa.gov. For information about past CDXs and NSA/CSS educational outreach, visit the agency's website at www.nsa.gov.