Eight student teams from Norwich, The Citadel, Virginia Military Institute, Virginia Tech, and the University of North Georgia recently applied their skills to a challenge focused on connected vehicles. Norwich University hosted the 2026 Web Services Generative AI Challenge, tasking students with advising the fictional automaker Northstar Mobility Group on cybersecurity risks. Teams evaluated how to protect vehicles at scale, balancing security with innovation and customer trust, and were judged on five areas including technical merit and feasibility. Keith Gelinas ’84, a Norwich alumnus and senior practice manager, delivered the keynote address.
Military Colleges Tackle Connected-Vehicle Cybersecurity with Generative AI
Norwich University’s Cyber Fusion Center hosted a competition where student teams assessed cybersecurity vulnerabilities for Northstar Mobility Group, a fictional automaker, simulating real-world pressures on the automotive industry. This scenario reflects a growing threat; as vehicles rely more on mobile apps and cloud services, cyberattacks extend beyond data breaches to potentially compromising vehicle functions. Five of the six members of Norwich’s winning team were also varsity student-athletes.
A university spokesperson noted that the challenge brought together the Leahy School and the Lasky School, connecting them with industry expertise. The event’s success has prompted Web Services to expand similar challenges to universities nationwide, indicating a broader recognition of the need for specialized training in this rapidly evolving field.
Norwich University views the competition as an annual tradition, encouraging collaboration between senior military colleges and providing students with practical experience in interdisciplinary problem-solving. The university highlighted how alumni engagement and industry partnerships create opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge to complex, real-world challenges with consequences for businesses and communities.
Norwich University & AWS Expand Annual Challenge, Industry Collaboration
The annual competition’s impact extends beyond the participating institutions, as Web Services intends to replicate the challenge format nationally, signaling broader industry interest in cultivating generative AI skills within cybersecurity curricula. The event connected students with industry professionals, providing a practical bridge between academic study and real-world application. The event has since become an annual Norwich tradition and has inspired to bring similar challenges to universities across the country.
Source: https://www.norwich.edu/news/norwich-hosts-aws-generative-ai-challenge-senior-military-colleges
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