TU Dublin International Women’s Day Capture-the-Flag Cyber Security Event
On Monday 8th of March, the TU Dublin Cyber Security Team were delighted to host an open online “Capture the Flag” event in celebration of International Women’s Day. Women were especially encouraged to join the event with a special prize for the best all women’s team.
The 4-hour event was designed to be fun and beginner-friendly, to encourage less experienced cyber enthusiasts to take part and hone their problem-solving and hacking skills.
Participants were tasked with undertaking 40 challenges across a range of topics, from cryptography and forensics to malware analysis and trivia, with a special section of challenges aimed at beginners to get them started. The event saw a turnout of 27 teams competing on the night, ranging from first timers right up to experienced CTF veterans.
From the outset, it was clear there were some very good teams, but one team, “Lovelace”, quickly took the lead and maintained that right until the end, solving a massive 39 out of the 40 challenges. The race for second was a very closely fought battle, but in the end team “Carrie Phisher” tipped the scales with 33 solves, edging out team “Madcomma” who had 29. Some kudos does have to go to Madcomma for doing so well with only 2 team members! The best all women’s team prize was won by team Kay McNulty, who solved 22 challenges.
It was a fun and challenging evening, which saw great enthusiasm and positive feedback from all competitors. The team hope CTF will be a regular event on the Cyber Security calendar.
Please be sure to follow the TU Dublin Cyber Security team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates on upcoming and future events.