What is a CTF (Capture the Flag)?
A CTF, or Capture the Flag, is a type of cybersecurity competition where participants try to solve various challenges in different domains (e.g., web security, cryptography, forensics) to find flags, which are strings of text. Upon finding a flag, participants submit it to a scoring page to earn points. The teams with the most points at the end of the competition are declared the winners.
For this specific Capture the Flag competition, we hope to offer hands-on and practical exercises based around malware analysis, digital forensics and incident response, threat hunting or cyber threat intelligence, and general security. We will be releasing new challenges for you to play every single day throughout the month of October.
Who can participate?
Our CTF is open to everyone — from beginners to seasoned cybersecurity professionals. We encourage students, professionals, and cybersecurity enthusiasts to participate and test their skills.
Are there any fees to participate?
No fees at all — our CTF is free for everybody!
How can I participate?
To participate in our CTF:
- Register an account for you personally.
- Create a join a team with your co-workers, peers, colleagues -- or create a team with just one member (yourself) if you are playing solo.
- Go to the Challenges page during the month of October and start trying tasks!
How many people can be on a team?
There is no maximum team size or cap on the number of players that can be on a team. Team size is impossible to enforce in an online and digital game.
However, there is a limited number of prizes. If you play with a large team and you win prizes, it is up to your own discretion as to how you distribute your prizes.
Are there rules that we need to adhere to?
Yes, please view the Rules page.
Are there prizes that we can win?
Yes, please view the Prizes page.
How can I ask for help?
Visit our Discord channel for real-time assistance and technical support!
Why does it look like my points are going down?
We use dynamic scoring to calculate the point value of challenges. That means that:
- All challenges start with a standard value as to how many points that challenge is worth.
- As more teams and players solve a challenge, its point value decreases.
- Every team's collected points "shift" as they challenge point value changes.
Your points are not going down, but scores are being adjusted for every single team. The numbers may change but the competition standings do not. With dynamic scoring, challenge difficulty is determined by the players themselves, and challenges that are tougher to solve (i.e., have been solved by less teams) will be worth more points. This is the traditional scoring system used by most modern Capture the Flag competitions.
What other resources are there to learn from?
If you're new to CTFs or want to enhance your skills, here are some resources:
- CTF 101: A comprehensive guide to getting started.
- Awesome CTF: A curated list of CTF challenges, write-ups, and tools.
- Educational Videos: A collection of videos to level up your skills.