UMD CSEC
University of Maryland Cybersecurity Club. Passionate students with a love for cybersecurity - lectures, workshops, and CTF competitions.
Join Our DiscordOur Mission
Building the cybersecurity community at the University of Maryland.
University of Maryland Cybersecurity Club
We are a group of passionate students with a love for cybersecurity. We regularly host a variety of technical and non-technical talks, hands-on workshops, and participate in cybersecurity capture the flag (CTF) competitions. In addition, we organize an annual competition, UMDCTF.
Educate
We provide weekly lectures and workshops that cover the full spectrum of cybersecurity - from beginner-friendly intros to advanced exploitation techniques. No prior experience required.
Compete
Our CTF team competes every weekend in jeopardy-style competitions. We also send teams to CCDC, a premier collegiate attack-defense competition simulating real enterprise networks.
Connect
Connect with industry sponsors, attend career events, and join a vibrant Discord community. CSEC is where students build lasting relationships and launch cybersecurity careers.
Where Cybersecurity Starts
Every week, students pack our lecture halls to learn, share, and grow together. From first-time hackers to seasoned CTF competitors, CSEC is the home for anyone curious about cybersecurity.
- Hands-on workshops every week
- All skill levels welcome
- Active community
UMDCTF
Every spring, we host UMDCTF, our Capture the Flag cybersecurity competition. Challenges are written by members of the club, and the event runs for 48 hours, starting Friday night. Held online, UMDCTF 2026 drew over 1,000 competitors from more than 50 countries and earned a CTFtime weight of 85.48, our highest yet. Be on the lookout for UMDCTF 2027!
The team behind UMDCSEC
From the CSEC Blog
Updates, recaps, and write-ups from the club.
Most Recent Posts
Anonymous Communications
Anonymous communication systems - anonymity properties, mix networks, and a deep comparison of Tor and I2P against passive and active adversaries.
Wireshark 101
Network protocol analysis with Wireshark - the OSI model, common protocols, and capturing and filtering live traffic with hands-on challenges.
Reverse Engineering
Reverse engineering fundamentals - binary formats, x86 assembly, IDA Pro workflows, and static analysis techniques.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question about UMDCSEC? Find the answers to our most common questions below.
You can join the club by visiting our TerpLink page and joining our Discord, where announcements regarding meetings and CTFs will be posted.
Nope! Everyone, regardless of major, is welcome to our meetings. Feel free to pick and choose which ones you'd like to attend!
None! We are open to students from all disciplines and status at UMD. We are here to foster a community for students passionate about computer security, or lack thereof :).
Meetings will be held on Thursdays starting 5:30 PM in PHYS4311 (ACES North) unless otherwise specified. We will have both lectures and workshops for you to participate and get hands-on experience with! For more information, visit our Terplink page to get access to the Discord.
Yes, all meetings are in-person unless otherwise specified, but you may also join online. We will post our slides on Discord after meetings, so if you were unable to attend, don't worry.
In addition to developing UMDCTF every year, we also compete in CCDC, an annual collegiate attack-defense competition.
Contact Us
We'd love to hear from you.
president@csec.umiacs.umd.edu
Mailing Address
5149 Iribe Building
8125 Paint Branch Drive
College Park, MD 20740
Lab Address
4425 A.V. Williams Building
8223 Paint Branch Drive
College Park, MD 20740
Ready to level up your security skills?
Join UMDCSEC and be part of a community of students passionate about cybersecurity. No experience needed - just curiosity.
Join Terplink