On September 27th, IIMS College hosted a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition for aspiring cybersecurity enthusiasts. The Cybersecurity specialization team of BCS (Bachelor of Computer Science) faculty took the lead in organizing this event. This event indeed was a unique opportunity for cybersecurity enthusiasts to test their skills and learn from industry experts.
What is a Capture the Flag (CTF) Competition?
A CTF is a cybersecurity competition where participants solve a series of challenges to earn points. These challenges often involve cracking codes, finding bugs, and analyzing network errors. As a result, CTF provides a hands-on approach to learning cybersecurity concepts and techniques.
The IIMS CTF Experience
Here, a total of around 40 participants from the BCS faculty registered for the event. Undoubtedly, this IIMS CTF competition provided an excellent platform for participants to learn from industry experts. Hack@sec, a renowned CTF team in Nepal, mentored participants, offering valuable insights and feedback.
Key Highlights of the Event:
- Intense Competition: Participants engaged in a fierce competition, solving an array of cybersecurity challenges.
- Real-world Scenarios: Challenges were designed to simulate real-world networking scenarios, providing a practical learning experience. In brief, the main challenge for the participants was to identify errors and bugs in the website.
- Expert Mentorship: Hack@sec members shared their knowledge and expertise, guiding participants throughout the entire event.
- Online Tracking System: Additionally, an online tracking system allowed participants to monitor their progress and rankings in real time.
How did participants benefit from CTF?
Now, let us dive into how the participants benefitted from CTF.
Practical Skill Development:
- First, CTF allowed participants to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world scenarios, enhancing their technical skills in web security, cryptography, reverse engineering, and network security.
Problem-Solving and Critical Thinking:
- Next, CTF challenges required participants to think critically, analyze problems, locate errors, and implement solutions.
Career Advancement:
- Moreover, this CTF experience is a significant boost to the participants’ CVs, making them a more attractive candidate for cybersecurity roles.
Networking Opportunities:
- Also, CTF provided a platform to connect with other cybersecurity enthusiasts, industry professionals, and potential mentors.
Most importantly, a huge kudos to the organizing team and lead, Kapil Rokaya, a BCS third-year student. Organizing the CTF and having a professional team, Hack@sec, onboard at the event was highly commendable. Through these events, the college has been fostering cybersecurity talent and promoting a culture of innovation. This enhanced the learning experience for BCS students. This event was thus a significant step towards empowering the BCS students and the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
