UTampa Hosts ISACA Cybersecurity Competition

On Nov. 7, the University of Tampa hosted the 2026 ISACA Challenge Cup, organized by the University’s Cybersecurity Club and the West Florida Chapter of ISACA, a professional association focused on digital trust in information technology. The daylong tournament, held in the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center, brought together 18 students from UTampa and the University of South Florida. This was the first time that UTampa had hosted the competition.

Unlike capture-the-flag-style competitions that focus mostly on technical skills, this competition required students to lean into their problem-solving and communication skills. Teams were given a real-world cybersecurity scenario and then worked to investigate the problem, determine its cause and explore ways to prevent it in the future. Students presented their findings to a panel of judges composed of cybersecurity professionals from the community.

“This competition encourages students to be well-rounded cybersecurity professionals who can showcase their business skills to solve a problem and articulate a recommendation,” said Assistant Teaching Professor Federico Giovannetti.

The benefits for participants go beyond awards, said Giovannetti. “Having local cybersecurity professionals as judges creates a networking link and a bridge into the workforce between ISACA students and ISACA members.”