Two NMSU students to participate in national cybersecurity competition

LAS CRUCES, New Mexico (KVIA) -- Two students from New Mexico State University are appearing in a competition in Georgia starting Monday that’s been described as hosting "the best and brightest college students from around the country."

Guillermo Delgado, from Chaparral, and Kenny Hernandez, from Moreno Valley, California, are both representing NMSU in the SkillsUSA cybersecurity competition.

The competition lasts from June 19th to the 23rd at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

The NMSU chairman for SkillsUSA says this is the first time cyber security is being offered as a competition event.

Previously, it was demonstration only.

Student Kenny Hernandez told ABC-7 how important having discipline in this field is, especially with how vulnerable some of the nation's critical systems are.

“There’s a lot of critical infrastructure that has the ability to be taken over with," said Hernandez.

"Anything from the power grid to even nuclear power plants, they have the ability to be hacked into, and to be able to do whatever the hackers want," he added.

Student Guillermo Delgado told ABC-7 he first got into cybersecurity after he was diagnosed with AS, an auto immune disorder, which affects his spine, and kept him out of work from his original job.

He says the IT field helped him get his life back.

“I was stuck not knowing what to do," said Delgado.

"I decided to go to DACC, and talked with Mr. John Pius, to see what I can do, and he advised me to go into IT, and then I started the classes," he added.

According to SkillsUSA, estimates project almost 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will be up for grabs around the globe by 2025.