Capture the flag
Capture the Flag, often abbreviated as CTF, has a rich history dating back the early days of computer security and hacking culture. Its origins can be traced to events like DEFCON, a prominent hacker conference, where the first organized CTF competition took place in the early 1990s. The concept of CTF involved participants trying to break into computer systems to retrieve a digital "flag", a symbolic representation of sensitive data or a specific file. This format not only provided an engaging challenge for hackers and security enthusiasts but also served as a means to enhance cybersecurity skills.
Over the years, CTF competitions evolved beyond just hacking into digital systems and expanded to include various aspects of cybersecurity, such as web application security, cryptography, reverse engineering and more. Today, CTFs are a widely recognized and respected method for both educating and evaluating the skills of cybersecurity professionals and enthusiasts. They are used to identify vulnerabilities in real-world systems, develop defensive strategies, and foster a collaborative community of security experts who continually push the boundaries of cybersecurity knowledge and innovation.