Klosterman to compete at international Cyber Games

June 9, 2022

Dakota State alumnus Joshua Klosterman will be traveling to Athens, Greece as part of the U.S. Cyber Team to compete in the first International Cybersecurity Challenge.

Klosterman, who currently works for MITRE as a senior cybersecurity engineer, graduated from DSU in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in Network and Security Administration and in 2018 with a master's degree in Information Assurance.

He first became interested in cybersecurity through a national youth competition, the CyberPatriot Cyber Defense Competition, which jump-started his interest in the field.

When choosing a college, Klosterman, who is originally from Brandon, S.D., searched for top cybersecurity schools he found nearby, Dakota State was an option. He found his experience at DSU beneficial in preparing him to be a member of the U.S. Cyber Team.

“The faculty and extracurricular opportunities at DSU helped develop my skills in a lot of different areas,” he said. “Working with the students in each of the different clubs was a great way to grow and help others learn as well.”

Klosterman first heard about the U.S. Cyber Games through cyber competition channels in early 2021. He participated in the U.S. Cyber Open competition on May 28, 2021, and was one of the top 60 to progress to the U.S. Cyber Combine, which took place on July 9, 2021.

He found out he had been selected as a member of the US Cyber Team on October 5. “I was definitely looking forward to the challenge ahead, and excited at the prospect of working with Austen, Eric, Logan, and the rest of the team in Greece.”

He is also excited to see the results of all the efforts the team has put in over the past year.

“The opportunity to work with other cyber competitors from around the nation and represent the United States on an international level has been a unique opportunity that I’ve enjoyed immensely,” Klosterman added.

The team will compete June 14-17 in Athens, Greece.