What is the NCX Mission?

Cyber is an invisible threat that it is capable of unleashing real damage to America. Adversaries are more sophisticated and the number of cyber events are never-ending. Cybersecurity is a crucial component of a strong national defense. NSA helps to educate, train, and test cyber skills of U.S. Service Academy cadets and midshipmen as well as Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) teams from the Senior Military Colleges (Norwich University, Texas A&M University, The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and the University of North Georgia) to become future cyber warriors and leaders. NSA helps to ensure both future military active duty and reserve force members are aware of cyber issues, prepared to sharpen America's competitive edge for the future, and ready to protect national security. By investing in the future, ew are ensuring our national defense. 

What is NCX?

The NSA Cyber Exercise (NCX) is a year-round, education, training and exercise program. NCX culminates in an annual three-day cyber competition that challenges students at the U.S. Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges in near full-spectrum Cyber operations. This culminating cyberspace training exercise helps to develop and test cybersecurity skills, teamwork, planning, communication, critical thinking, and decision-making. NCX helps prepare the Nation’s next generation of cyber leaders and warriors in defending the Nation from an ever-increasing number of cyber threats. The winning school receives the coveted NCX trophy.

Note: In 2018, the culminating NCX competition was held at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD. In 2019, the culminating NCX competition was held at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. The global COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the cancellation of the 2020 NCX. Going forward, the annual culminating NCX competition will be conducted virtually.

Who are the NCX Competitors?

NCX Winners

NCX Photo Gallery

Historical Video