Capture the Flag Unplugged

Abstract

In order to meet the cybersecurity workforce demand, it is important to raise cybersecurity interest among the youth. Just like ACM programming competitions, Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions allow students to learn cybersecurity skills in a fun and engaging way. It is an effective platform to increase students' interest in cybersecurity and prepare them for defending against real cyber attackers. A typical CTF competition requires at least some basic technical security knowledge and months of diligent preparation. For this very reason, many computer science students do not feel qualified to participate in CTF competitions, and as a result, do not even try. To overcome this lack of confidence while at the same time raising awareness about the cybersecurity profession in a realistic fashion, we have developed the CTF Unplugged project, as inspired by the CS Unplugged project. The primary goal is to teach students with little or no technical knowledge about the different cybersecurity challenges that a cybersecurity professional must address and the problem-solving skills needed for a cybersecurity career, all without direct use of technology. The effectiveness of CTF unplugged project has been evaluated after exposing 36 high school students participating in the Tennessee Tech University GenCyber Camp to these activities this past summer. Students reported a significant gain in knowledge, confidence and comfort level after participation.