About The Event
PCDC 2026 was held on April 11-13, 2026. Ten teams competed on each day of the event with high schools competing on Saturday, colleges on Sunday, and the pros on Monday. CyberPatriot was used as the high school qualifier and the Southeast Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition for the collegiate qualifier. "Cyber in the Middle" (CITM) and also the Southeast Region Collegiate HackWarz were held Saturday April 11.
Click Here to see a slide show of the event!
2026 Scenario:
Welcome to Astra 9, the frontier outpost of the Palmetto Core Drilling Corporation (PCDC). True to PCDC’s founding ethos, “for the greater good of humanity," Astra 9 represents the corporation’s boldest commitment to deep space resource extraction. Anchored to asteroid Druida, the colony sits atop the largest confirmed deposit of Schwartz, the ultra rare material projected to redefine next generation computing and secure PCDC’s dominance across the interstellar supply chain.
This opportunity, however, comes with operational challenges. In a recent initiative to optimize long term operational efficiency, CEO Scott Bell authorized deployment of the Astra Tactical Intelligence Computer (ATIC), an experimental AI system intended to automate cybersecurity oversight across all PCDC assets. The rollout exceeded expectations in one regard – it eliminated nearly the entire human cybersecurity workforce overnight. With hundreds of seasoned professionals displaced by an unproven platform, Astra 9’s critical infrastructure, life support, automated drilling, supply logistics, and long range communications now rely on a skeleton crew of overworked system administrators struggling to maintain baseline functionality, let alone defend against coordinated threats.
Predictably, the galaxy has taken notice. Rival mining conglomerates are positioning themselves to disrupt Schwartz production. Anti extraction hacktivist groups are actively probing for ideological pressure-points. Nation state competitors have begun deploying covert cyber units to sabotage PCDC timelines. Even organized space crime syndicates have discovered that hijacking autonomous supply drones yields higher returns than traditional piracy.
To stabilize the situation, PCDC’s CISO Andy Green has initiated an accelerated talent reacquisition program. Newly recruited cyber defense specialists will be responsible for restoring operational integrity across Astra 9: maintaining drill uptime, securing communications, protecting supply routes, and above all, ensuring the safety of the Schwartz extraction crews whose work underpins the corporation’s future.
We once again hosted the Southeast Region Collegiate on 11 April 2026: HackWarz®.
2026 Participants:
The High School Teams that competed were: AAST, Academic Magnet, Ashley Ridge, Cane Bay, Center for Advanced Studies - Chapin, Clover, DMTC, CTE Innovation Center, Homeschool STEM, and Military Magnet
Collegiate Teams that competed were: Citadel, Claflin/Horry Georgetown, Clemson, CofC, CSU, ECPI, Naval Academy, TTC, UNCW, USC Aiken, and USC
Overview
Promoting cyber security education and awareness
PCDC is an event for the promotion of Cyber Security education and awareness. Competition energizes local high schools and colleges to develop invigorating and focused curriculum for the technical needed in today’s fast-paced and challenging cyber environment. A brochure for the event is posted in the Documents Section
Competition is an all-day event followed by awards presentations and a networking opportunity where representatives will be available to discuss employment possibilites. Each day brings a new set of competitors to the field allowing South Carolina high schools, regional colleges, and cyber security professionals to go head-to-head. The schedule is posted in the Documents Section
Each 6-member team must work together as a real company would to defend their network from red team attacks while maintaining crucial business services and responding to customer and administrative demands. Winners are the most successful at thwarting the effects of hackers while keeping their businesses online and functioning.
2026 Winners
Congratulations to these winning teams!
High School
- Home School STEM
- Academic Magnet
- AAST
- MVP:Matt Jackson, Clover High School
College
- Clemson
- University of South Carolina
- The Citadel
- MVP:Citadel Cadet Jack Cooper
Pro
- US National Cyber Team
- SRC
- LEIDOS
Southeast Regional Collegiate HackWarz Champion
- University of South Carolina
- United States Naval Academy
- The Citadel
Event Venue
PCDC 2026 was held on 11-13 April 2026 at Trident Technical College in North Charleston in building 920. A map to the venue is posted in the Documents Section. You can download/view the map directly by Clicking Here.
THANK YOU to our 2026 sponsors!!!
The competition, awards, scholarships and prizes are made possible through the generous support of many industry and institutional sponsors and over 100 volunteers, as well as many cyber security industry supporters & volunteers both in South Carolina & throughout the United States. The AFCEA SC Low Country Chapter wishes to recognize the generosity and continuing support of our many Corporate Sponsors who make the Palmetto Cyber Defense Competition possible.
