By Suzanne Kubler and Julie Knight

Makya Stell sits ready in front of a brightly-lit computer screen to play the role of a hacker — breaking into company websites to steal sensitive information like trade secrets, passwords and confidential employee information. This was the competition scenario Makya faced. 

“It’s scary getting into the mind of a computer criminal,” said Makya. “Especially when you realize how much information can be collected with just a few details about someone in a real-life situation.”

In June 2024, Makya was invited to participate in Cyber Shield, the Department of Defense (DoD) Joint Forces annual cybersecurity training event. The training includes a hacking competition that challenges participants to carry out mock cyber threat scenarios in an effort to help the DoD improve their problem-solving strategies and better prepare for real threats. 

Makya made history at the event. She was the first woman ever to win the individual cybersecurity gaming competition’s top prize. 

“I’ve never done cybersecurity before. No one was more shocked than I was,” said Makya. 

Makya had to outwit hundreds of military competitors to win — including some top cybersecurity experts — despite not being a cybersecurity professional herself. 

Defying the Odds 

Not being trained in the proper protocol worked to her advantage. Makya relied heavily on the problem-solving and coding skills she has developed during her two-year tenure as a Northrop Grumman software engineer at Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma and found a faster workaround than her competitors. Rather than relying solely on cybersecurity tools, she used coding solutions to speed up the process. 

“To play into my strengths, I decided to focus on solving the challenges by coding to reverse engineer the answers,” said Makya. Every second counted — the individual to solve all the challenges first wins. 

Makya had no idea she beat out everyone until the song “The Final Countdown” played, and her competitors swarmed around her, shouting, “You won!” 

“It was really exciting. And winning gave me so much confidence,” said Makya. “I hope this will inspire more women to enter the race next year.” 

Nerds are Cool 

Makya believes all the years she spent as a child playing “nerdy” video games helped her develop and hone her current champion-level computer skills and said her family used to playfully tease her about it. 

“Since I was a kid, my parents have called me Urkel, a character from the TV show ‘Family Matters,’ because I wear big circle glasses, and I’ve always liked computer games more than sports,” said Makya. 

She used to think her dad, a running back on the University of Oklahoma’s 1985 national championship team, was disappointed that she didn’t inherit his athletic abilities. 

“But now my parents both realize that nerds are cool,” said Makya. “They’re definitely super proud of me.” 

Makya’s teammates at work also share her joy of gaming. She said Northrop Grumman’s mission to serve the U.S. military sparked her initial interest in working here and now her colleagues make her feel special every day — like a second family. 

“I have the best team. We have potlucks, go on runs after work and play video games together,” said Makya. 

Makya will continue to look at coding through the eyes of a hacker as she stays current on the latest in cybersecurity; protecting the country and its allies from threats is always top of mind for her in her role as a developer. Makya knows that the best developers understand cybersecurity. 

“You have to know how to secure your software against potential threats,” said Makya. “The more we understand cybersecurity, the safer we are.”