About Us

Learn about WCCOMPS and our mission to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals

About WCCOMPS

The Western Coalition of Competitions (WCCOMPS) is a premier organization dedicated to developing the next generation of cybersecurity professionals through world-class competitions, comprehensive training, and community support.

Our Mission

WCCOMPS exists to provide students with hands-on, real-world cybersecurity experiences that prepare them for successful careers in the field. We believe that practical competition experience, combined with mentorship and education, creates exceptional security professionals who can defend organizations against evolving threats.

What We Do

World-Class Competitions

We organize and run several premier cybersecurity competitions across the Western United States and Pacific Rim:

WRCCDC - The Western Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition challenges students to defend corporate networks against professional red teams

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CIRCUS - Digital forensics and incident response competition focusing on investigation skills

HackerCamp - Intensive summer training program providing comprehensive security education

Student Support & Education

Beyond competitions, WCCOMPS provides extensive support to students:

Free workshops and training sessions covering fundamental and advanced security topics

Mentorship programs connecting students with industry professionals

Competition preparation resources including practice scenarios and tool training

Career guidance and networking opportunities with potential employers

Scholarship and financial support to reduce barriers to participation

Community Building

We work to strengthen the cybersecurity education community:

Assistance to other competition organizers sharing our experience and resources

Collaboration with academic institutions to improve cybersecurity curricula

Industry partnerships connecting education with real-world needs

Open source contributions making our tools and materials available to all

Why WCCOMPS Matters

Bridging the Skills Gap

The cybersecurity industry faces a significant talent shortage. WCCOMPS helps address this by:

• Providing practical experience that goes beyond classroom theory
• Identifying and developing talent early in students’ academic careers
• Connecting qualified students with employers seeking skilled professionals

Elevating Standards

Our competitions set the bar for quality cybersecurity education:

• Realistic scenarios based on actual security incidents and threats
• Professional-grade infrastructure mirroring enterprise environments
• Expert red teams providing genuine adversary simulation
• Comprehensive feedback helping students learn and improve

Creating Opportunities

We remove barriers and create pathways to success:

• Free or low-cost participation to ensure accessibility
• Travel assistance for teams that need financial support
• Exposure to diverse career paths in cybersecurity
• Recognition that helps students stand out to employers

Our Impact

Since our founding, WCCOMPS has:

• Trained thousands of students in practical cybersecurity skills
• Helped hundreds of students launch successful security careers
• Supported dozens of schools in building competitive security programs
• Contributed to numerous open-source projects used by the community
• Assisted other regional competitions in improving their events

Need Help Organizing Your Competition?

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WCCOMPS actively supports other organizations looking to run cybersecurity competitions and events. We share our expertise, infrastructure guidance, and best practices to help the entire community succeed.

How We Can Help

Competition Planning & Design

• Event format consultation
• Scenario development guidance
• Timeline and milestone planning
• Budgeting and resource allocation

Infrastructure & Technical Support

• Network architecture recommendations
• Scoring engine options and setup
• Container and VM deployment strategies
• Security and isolation best practices

Operational Guidance

• Volunteer recruitment and training
• Rule development and enforcement
• Red team coordination
• White team operations

Resources & Documentation

• Competition templates and checklists
• Volunteer handbooks
• Best practices documentation
• Lessons learned from our events

Who Can We Help?

• Schools starting new competition programs
• Regional organizers expanding to new areas
• Student clubs running internal competitions
• Training programs seeking competition components
• Corporate teams organizing internal events

Get Started

Interested in organizing a competition with our support? Contact us at events@wccomps.org to discuss how we can help make your event successful.

Get Involved

Whether you’re a student interested in competing, a professional wanting to volunteer, or an organization looking to support cybersecurity education, there’s a place for you in the WCCOMPS community.