A student from the Pennsylvania State University emerged victorious in a competition that challenged participants’ knowledge of cybersecurity, computer science, mathematics, cryptography, and critical thinking skills.
Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response
July 22, 2025
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After hours of battling through deception and simulation, Asa Reynolds from the Pennsylvania State University was declared the winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) 2025 CyberForce® Conquer the Hill® Reign competition. Led by the DOE’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER) and developed by DOE’s Argonne National Laboratory, the competition challenges participants’ knowledge of cybersecurity, computer science, mathematics, cryptography, and critical thinking skills in a video game style escape room.
The Reign competition is part of DOE’s broader CyberForce® Program, which is designed to inspire and develop the next generation of cyber defenders for the energy sector. Through hands-on immersive individual and team competitions, the program explores the critical intersection of cybersecurity and energy infrastructure.
This year, 118 students from 67 colleges and universities competed in the Deja-Vu themed virtual escape room competition. Contestants raced against the clock to solve a series of challenges that included reconstructing a nuclear reactor, hacking virtual server rooms, engaging with AI-powered robots, decrypting hidden messages, and navigating through multiple levels of a high-stakes quest while revisiting past Reign competition characters, challenges, and themes. Asa claimed victory with the fastest completion time of 3 hours, 6 minutes, and 9 seconds, demonstrating exceptional technical skill and poise under pressure.
“This event showcased students whose skills are critical to ensuring a reliable, resilient, and secure energy system for the American people,” said Alex Fitzsimmons, the Director of DOE CESER. “Congratulations to Asa Reynolds from the Pennsylvania State University as the 2025 CyberForce Conquer the Hill Reign competition winner.”
The CyberForce Program continues to expand its outreach through competitions, podcasts, learning resources, and virtual career fairs. It emphasizes cyber skills across operational and information technologies, simulates real-world energy scenarios, and builds the professional skills needed to succeed in today’s cybersecurity landscape.
“Reign is the ultimate competition. It blends the excitement of video games with the opportunity to build real-world cyber and critical thinking skills. How often can you say you played a game and walked away with professional experience?” said Amanda Theel, national laboratory lead of the CyberForce Program and group leader of Workforce Development in Argonne’s Strategic Security Sciences division.
Since its inception in 2016, the CyberForce Program has helped over 8,000 students sharpen their cybersecurity skills to support their future careers. With a growing suite of resources, the program continues to fuel a strong pipeline of cyber talent to support the nation’s critical infrastructure needs.
For more information about the CyberForce Program and upcoming events, visit the CyberForce website.