Hack The Box, a cybersecurity upskilling and talent assessment platform, has announced its upcoming global Capture The Flag (CTF) competition designed for corporate teams. The competition aims to help cybersecurity teams fortify their skills as cyber attacks become increasingly frequent and severe.
In the first quarter of 2023, cyberattacks have risen by 7% compared to the previous year, highlighting the need for cybersecurity professionals to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. To address this, Hack The Box has designed a new online global competition that enables cybersecurity professionals to learn the latest techniques in defending their organizations using real-world scenarios.
Scheduled to run from July 14 to July 16, 2023, the CTF competition, titled “The Great Escape,” will transport competitors to a distant dystopian future where they race to colonize Mars. The objective is to establish Mars as a democracy by hacking into the opponent’s infrastructure, as the opposing team aims to occupy the planet exclusively for the elites.
To prepare for the event, participants will have access to interactive workshops featuring defensive security tactics prior to the start of the CTF. The competition itself includes over 30 challenges across various domains, including web, cloud, pwn, crypto, forensics, reversing, and machines. All challenges are based on real-world scenarios, providing participants with valuable experience. The CTF offers gamified upskilling, encouraging interactive learning experiences that keep participants engaged and motivated. Teams can sharpen their hacking skills, showcase their expertise, and compete for the top spot on the global leaderboard.
Haris Pylarinos, CEO at Hack The Box, emphasizes the unique opportunity the competition offers for IT and infosec teams to enhance their offensive and defensive cybersecurity skills while being part of an immersive storyline. He highlights the importance of offensive and pre-emptive strategies in addition to addressing cyberattacks after they occur. By including interns and new hires in the competition, businesses can ensure that their cybersecurity teams are well-prepared in an ever-changing threat landscape.
One security consultant, Pablo Ruiz Encinas, who participated in the 2022 Hack The Box Business CTF, shared his positive experience, stating that the competition enabled interns to enter the hacking world while experienced members sharpened their skills. Encinas expressed interest in joining similar events in the future.
Gabe Lawrence, VP of Information Security Cyber Protection at Toyota, also praised Hack The Box for helping his team update their skills and knowledge base. The company uses Hack The Box’s Dedicated Labs instances for CTFs they host every Friday afternoon, providing an enjoyable and casual way for the team to gather and work together to solve challenges.
The increasing popularity of Hack The Box’s CTF competitions is evident. The 2022 event saw participation from 657 different businesses across 84 countries and territories, representing a 75% year-on-year team participation increase. This growth demonstrates the demand for immersive team learning experiences. For the upcoming 2023 competition, over 500 teams have already registered to compete.
To join Hack The Box’s Business CTF 2023: The Great Escape, corporate teams can register for free on the Hack The Box website. The event is sponsored by Snyk and ExpressVPN, two prominent cybersecurity companies.
Hack The Box, launched in 2017, is a leading gamified cybersecurity upskilling, certification, and talent assessment platform. It brings together over 2 million members from the global cybersecurity community and aims to create and connect cyber-ready individuals and organizations through engaging hacking experiences. Hack The Box offers a guided and exploratory skills development environment, enabling cybersecurity professionals and organizations to continuously enhance their red, blue, and purple team capabilities. The company has headquarters in the UK, with additional offices in Greece and the US.