Loyola Blakefield
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Signature Programs

Cyber Science

Going in to year 14, the Cyber Science program at Loyola Blakefield provides students with industry-caliber skills required by today’s fast-growing employers and offers them the most advanced opportunities to apply those skills in the classroom. The program further enables students to test drive their future careers by participating in many student-led projects, national competitions, and local internship opportunities. LBCSI fosters the talents and ambitions of its students, preparing them to excel in the professional field.

Celebrating 10+ Years of Excellence

As we celebrate more than 10 years of global leadership and excellence, we invite you to view this video:

Cyber Science Goes Global

List of 4 items.

  • Australia

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    Steve Morrill has toured Australia on two occasions to conduct professional learning workshops and presentations for educators, politicians, and key members of the Australian technology and education industries about the development of Loyola’s cyber science program as part of an initiative developed by LifeJourney, the Australian Council for Computers in Education (ACCE), and Day of STEM. In addition to his presentations, several current and former Loyola students have participated in portions of his workshops via video conferencing. 


    Read more about the 2018 trip here.
    Read more about the inaugural trip in 2017 here.

  • Estonia

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    This year, for the third year in a row, members of LBCSI were in Tartu, Estonia, for the Cyber Battle of Nordic Baltics, a cyber competition that sets teams from around Europe against each other in the spirit of growing interest for cybersecurity in young people. 

    Our Dons were invited to participate in this competition thanks to the U.S. Cyber Command DreamPort Cyber Innovation Program, a project of non-profit and NSA civilian organization Maryland Innovation & Security Institute (MISI). Special thanks to Mr. Armando Seay, co-founder and member of the Board of Directors at MISI, for helping to make this trip possible for our Dons. 

    We invite you to watch this video, which recaps the first Estonia trip, and details some of the global success that the program has experienced over the past 13 years. 

  • Micronesia

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    Over the summer of 2025, two members of LBCSI embarked on a service trip to Xavier High School on Weno Island, Micronesia, in order to entirely replace the schoolʼs network. The team managed to rebuild, test, and complete the project, all without outside help or supervision. The network is not only for the school and will also provide internet access to local residents of the island.

  • Thailand

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    On June 29th, 2024, members of LBCSI departed for Bangkok, Thailand, to represent U.S. Cyber Command at the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Warrior Contest. The Cyber Warrior Contest, held on July 4th at the National Defense Studies Institute, is an exercise created by the RTARF to evaluate the skills and readiness of their forces.

    In addition to participating in the competition, the Loyola contingent also served as diplomats to military leadership, education administrators, and the various teams representing military forces from several nations. 

    Read more about this incredible experience in our Summer 2024 issue of Blakefield Magazine.

    LBCSI returned to Bangkok over the summer of 2025 and secured 1st place overall in the military division. We are working with the Sarasas Ektra School to start a cyber program and run the LBC2 capture-the-flag competition in Thailand in 2026.

Program Accolades

  • Air Force Association CyberPatriot

    The Air Force Association's CyberPatriot is one of the most prestigious cyber competitions in the world.
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  • CyberMaryland

    Our program was crowned three-time champions (2013, 2014, 2015) of the Maryland Cyber Challenge, hosted by the CyberMaryland Conference.
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  • Cyber Battle of the Nordic Baltics

    Loyola has sent 3 teams to Estonia in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
    More Details

  • Royal Thai Armed Forces CTF

    In June 2024, members of LBCSI departed for Bangkok, Thailand, to represent U.S. Cyber Command at the Royal Thai Armed Forces (RTARF) Warrior Contest. 
    More Details

  • Cyber Skyline Metropolis Cybersecurity Competition

    In February 2017, twenty-five of our cyber science students traveled to the University of Maryland College Park...
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  • Global Cyberlympics

    In 2013, Loyola students competed through several qualifying rounds and made it to the finals of the Global Cyberlympics, where they defeated five other teams for the title of world champions. A total of 70 high schools competed in this competition worldwide.
    Learn More

  • Xavier High School in Micronesia

    Two members of LBCSI traveled to Xavier High School in Micronesia in June 2025 to replace the entire network of the school. The team rebuilt, tested and completed the project all from the ground up with their knowledge from studying the CompTIA Network+ certification with LBCSI. 
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Contact Us

List of 1 members.

  • Photo of Stephen Morrill

    Stephen Morrill 

    Director of Technology, Security, & Campus Operations
    (410) 823-0601 Ext 460
    Read Full Bio

LBCSI Newsletter Archive

Frequently Asked Questions

List of 7 frequently asked questions.

  • If I don’t know anything about computers, can I still join?

    Yes, absolutely! All that is required is an open mind and a desire to learn new things. In fact, some of our students who have found a passion for this subject area came in not liking computers at all.

  • What exactly would I be learning if I participate?

    Simply put... a lot! Our initiatives concentrate on the foundational skills that you need in order to understand today’s digital environment. The majority of our time is spent learning how to defend against today’s cyber threats. Knowing how to defend against a cyber-attack gives insight into an attacker’s mindset, which is invaluable. This includes operating systems, networks, physical security, data privacy, and current legislation on Cyber. We look at how to apply the language of Cyber to all business sectors. There isn’t a business sector today that doesn’t need someone to speak the language of Cyber.

  • What are these competitions I hear about?

    Competitions are a great way to work as a team and showcase the skills that you have been learning against teams throughout the state, region, and nationally. The competitions are a great way to see the immediate and practical impact your skills have in today’s digital world. Students earn their way onto teams, which consist of 5-6 students. Currently, we compete in several competitions, including the Cyber battle of Nordic-Baltics (Estonia), the Royal Thai Armed Forces Cyber Warrior Competition, the Maryland Cyber Challenge, and the Air Force Association's CyberPatriot competition.

  • Why is there so much talk about hacking and cyber threats?

    The new reality in our digital world is many of the systems that we rely on in our daily lives are vulnerable to attack. Today’s cyber criminals use those vulnerabilities to steal intellectual property and financial resources. Unfortunately, there is even the threat of Cyber Terrorism against our critical infrastructure systems. It is for these reasons that we have our Cyber Science Program.

  • Will this stuff help me in college?

    Yes! If you are entering a technology field of study, you will have a solid technical foundation to continue your education. Even if you are not choosing to study a technology-related field, the skills and knowledge you gain as part of this program will set you apart in your field. As mentioned before, there is not a business sector or career right now that doesn’t need someone who speaks the language of Cyber. Whether it is English, Political Science, Biomedical Engineering, Law, or any other field that deals with data, all require a cyber component.

  • What about internships?

    We have great partnerships with local business that need more qualified cyber professionals. We are fortunate to be in a state that has so many cyber internships and jobs available to us. We truly are in an area that is cutting edge and looking for future talent in this growing industry. Students in their junior and senior year are eligible to participate in paid summer internships.

  • Do we learn how to hack?

    NO! While it is true that you would have sufficient knowledge to “hack,” the Loyola Code of Ethics and Grad at Grad goals strictly prohibit offensive hacking. We concentrate on defensive skills to help protect and defend networks and critical infrastructure. In fact, we spend a good amount of time looking at “hacks” that have happened recently and debate the ethical implications of these activities.

List of 6 frequently asked questions.

  • How does this fit into a Jesuit College Prep School like Loyola Blakefield?

    As our Grad at Grad goals state, a Loyola graduate should be open to growth and dedicated to a just world. The language of Cyber is a new component that is needed to participate in our digital world and economy. The hallmarks of a Jesuit education are the ideal place to teach a complex subject like Cyber Science. The world needs more people who have a solid moral compass and can speak the language of Cyber. Teamwork is critical for this subject area and requires thought leaders from every academic discipline. We are good at Cyber because our students are good at the rest of the course offerings we have at Loyola. With academic diversity founded on solid Ignatian principles, we are able to differentiate our approach to Cyber and life.

  • I heard there are certifications that I can obtain?

    Yes. If you choose, you can earn a variety of industry certifications. These are very helpful in obtaining internships, and they look great on college applications. There is a time investment that is required to earn these certifications, which–again–are optional. There are opportunities to earn the CompTIA A+, Network +, Security +, Linux + and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certifications, which will make you more marketable in many professions and industries.

  • Will I just be writing computer code?

    Actually, this is one of the misconceptions about Cyber Security. We write very little computer code. We do discuss the topic, and there are several students who are accomplished programmers who share their knowledge with us. Since we work in a team environment, everyone is able to bring their skills to the table. While programming is a valuable skill to learn, you are not required to know computer programming.

  • What are some things I can read to get an idea of what you all do?

    Start with the daily news! There isn’t a day that goes by that there isn’t something in the news that has to deal with Cyber. It could be the latest organization to suffer a data breach, or it could be cyber legislation. A great source for a daily digest of what is happening in this space in all sectors is the daily CyberWire report. You can subscribe at www.thecyberwire.com

  • What does a Cyber Security Club meeting look like?

    No two meetings are the same. At every meeting we take a current event from that day’s headlines and analyze it both from a technical perspective, as well as an ethical perspective. At that point we branch off into many different possibilities. We may be running a training image for an upcoming competition, taking a field trip to a business partner or industry conference, performing a network defense scenario, having a geopolitical conversation about something in the news, or welcoming a Cyber Security guest speaker to campus. Many of the topics and activities for that day are suggestions from the students involved in the program. This academic, ethical, and case-study approach provides both flexibility and diversity while applying both technical and practical challenges to our skills, and ultimately our experiences here at Blakefield.

  • What if I am involved in other extracurricular activities?

    We understand Loyola students have many different interests and commitments. Students are welcome to join us at any time to hear and see what we are doing. Everyone is welcome to attend and participate as much as they would like to participate. If your schedule permits, there is also a morning class (one credit) that you can take. If you just don’t have the time to commit to a competition team, no problem. Currently, many students in Cyber Security also participate on varsity sports teams, as well as other challenging extracurricular areas of interest. Diversity is encouraged.

Loyola Blakefield

500 Chestnut Ave. Towson, MD 21204
communications@loyolablakefield.org (410) 823-0601