DULLES, Va., March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Raytheon Company (NYSE: RTN) announced a three-year partnership as the title sponsor of the Raytheon National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC). In addition to being the title sponsor of the national championship, held April 25-27 in San Antonio, Texas, the company will also sponsor various regional competitions across the country. More than 180 colleges and universities are expected to take part in competitions that lead up to this year's national championship.

"Our nation's military, government and commercial sectors are in dire need of cyber talent as we rely ever more on the cyber domain and face ever-increasing threats," said Lynn Dugle, president of Raytheon's Intelligence, Information and Services. "As a leading provider of cyber security solutions, we are committed to increasing awareness of and interest in cyber careers, and have partnered with NCCDC because we believe in its mission to provide hands-on experience needed for the next generation of cyber leaders." The company recently commissioned a survey of the millennial generation, and uncovered that only 24 percent expressed interest in cyber careers.

Raytheon provides its global customers end-to-end capabilities in cyber security – from cyber products to training to full-spectrum cyber solutions. The company also plays a leadership role in helping advance future generations' interest in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers, such as those in the cyber security field.

"We are honored that a company with Raytheon's credentials in cyber and STEM has joined us along with other commercial and government partners like the Department of Homeland Security, in promoting cyber security careers to college students around the country," said Dwayne Williams, director of NCCDC. "We look forward to a long-term partnership that we hope will help narrow the gap in filling cyber security and information technology jobs that are critical to protecting the country against cyber threats."

As part of the sponsorship, Raytheon will provide resources--such as technical guidance, employee volunteers and products--to support the competitions.

Founded in 2005 by the University of Texas San Antonio's Center for Infrastructure Assurance and Security, NCCDC has grown to include qualifying, state and regional level competitions. NCCDC is modeled after real-world commercial business environments, and challenges collegiate teams to successfully keep a company running despite constant cyber attacks. To win, undergraduate and graduate students must secure and maintain servers and workstations, manage data, administer users, and perform common business-related and administrative tasks while fending off attacks from a live opposition team.

About Raytheon

Raytheon Company, with 2013 sales of $24 billion and 63,000 employees worldwide, is a technology and innovation leader specializing in defense, security and civil markets throughout the world. With a history of innovation spanning 92 years, Raytheon provides state-of-the-art electronics, mission systems integration and other capabilities in the areas of sensing; effects; and command, control, communications and intelligence systems, as well as cyber security and a broad range of mission support services. Raytheon is headquartered in Waltham, Mass. For more about Raytheon, visit us at www.raytheon.com and follow us on Twitter @Raytheon.

Raytheon Company 
Intelligence, Information and Services 
Dulles, Va.  

Media Contact 
Cassandra Watson 
+1.571.250.3390 
iispr@raytheon.com

NCCDC   
National Collegiate Cyber 
Defense Competition 

Media Contact 
Jessica Archer 
+1.210.842.0509   
jessica.archer@utsa.edu 

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SOURCE Raytheon Company