Capture The Flag Research Articles

A Preliminary Concept on Cybersecurity Skill Training Framework for a Capture-the-Flag Game using 5-Step Gamification Approach

This paper discusses about how to design a teaching and learning (T&L) framework for cyber security using game at higher education in Malaysia. The paper begins with literature review of key concepts and issues associated with Capture the Flag (CTF) and cybersecurity education framework, which led to the process of defining the CTF game to support the research aims. A version of CTF game was created using an open-source engine through Technology Pedagogy and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework and five-step gamification approach, which was aligned to the course structure of cyber security courses offered in two institutions of higher education in Malaysia. The intended learning outcomes of the course were mapped into the CTF game features. The constructive alignment and the CTF game were then verified by subject matter experts. Pre and post-test are conducted to study the difference in students’ performance. Mixed-mode research approach with quasi experiment will be used to study the difference among the treatment group. Data collection and analysis require supplement from follow-up interviews in order to complete the analysis of this T&L framework.

Exploring gender dynamics in cybersecurity education: A self-determination theory and social cognitive theory perspective

The cybersecurity industry is facing two major challenges as cyber threats get more serious: a shortage of skilled workers to defend against these attacks and a noticeable underrepresentation of women in the field, underscoring the critical need for diversity and skill development. This research explores variations in cybersecurity learning based on gender using the frameworks of self-determination and social cognitive theories. Conducted over two years, the research utilized a Capture The Flag (CTF) platform to facilitate learning and assess outcomes. This study explores the gender disparities in key areas such as intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, self-efficacy, conceptual grasp, and performance across five distinct cybersecurity subdomains: web exploitation, cryptography, cyber forensics, binary exploitation, and reverse engineering. The comprehensive evaluation included participant interaction with learning materials, their adeptness in practical exercises, and their achievements in a comprehensive contest covering five essential cross-domain cybersecurity concepts. Pre- and post-study surveys were instrumental in tracking shifts in motivation and self-efficacy levels. Findings pointed to notable gender-based differences in motivational aspects and self-belief following the learning phase, with conceptual understanding and the ability to replicate challenges also varying significantly between genders, highlighting disparities in educational outcomes. Domain-based analysis reveals notable gender differences: male participants excelled in solving reverse engineering and cryptography problems, whereas female participants performed better in cyber forensics and web exploitation challenges. These findings underscore the importance of tailored educational strategies in cybersecurity training to bridge the gender gap and foster a more diverse and capable workforce, addressing both the skill shortage and the need for broader representation in the field.

All flags are not created equal: A deep look into CTF Scoring Algorithms

Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions are popular in the cybersecurity field to train and evaluate the skills of students and professionals alike. Each CTF competition has a scoring system that is fundamental in evaluating a participant’s skills by awarding scores for correct behavior and penalizing for incorrect behavior. Even though this topic gets discussed in the CTF community, it has mostly been ignored in previously published research material. The purpose of this research is: (1) to evaluate and understand how scoring algorithms affect the outcome of the two most commonly used CTF formats, i.e., Jeopardy and Attack-Defense. (2) To identify the desired requirements and properties of a CTF scoring algorithm by following a three-step process consisting of conducting a survey targeting experts from the European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC), identifying the currently available CTF algorithms using a literature review, and then simulating the identified scoring algorithms using data obtained from real CTFs. Finally, (3) scoring algorithms for both CTF formats are proposed based on the findings of the literature review, survey, and simulation results that fulfill the identified requirements.

Friend or Foe – The Impact of ChatGPT on Capture the Flag Competitions

ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based chatbot, has taken the world by storm since the technology’s release to the public in November 2022. The first reactions were awe and amazement as ChatGPT presented the capability to instantly respond to various text-based questions following a conversational approach. However, it is ChatGPT’s ability to complete more advanced tasks, such as supplying source code to programming-related questions or generating complete articles focusing on a specific topic, which has caused eyebrows to be raised. The capabilities offered by ChatGPT, fuelled by popularity and easy accessibility, have introduced several new challenges for the academic sector. One such challenge is the concept of AI-assisted cheating, where students utilise chatbots, such as ChatGPT, to answer specific questions or complete assignments. Although various research studies have explored the impact of ChatGPT on university education, few studies have discussed the influence of ChatGPT on Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions. CTF competitions offer a popular platform to promote cybersecurity education, allowing students to gain hands-on experience solving cybersecurity challenges in a fun but controlled environment. The typical style of CTF challenges usually follows a question-answer format, which offers students the ideal opportunity to enlist the assistance of ChatGPT. This paper investigates the ability of ChatGPT to assist and aid students in solving CTF challenges. The exploratory study involves past CTF challenges across various categories and the questioning of ChatGPT in an attempt to solve the challenges. The outcome of the study reveals that although ChatGPT can assist students with challenges during CTF competitions, the assistance that can be offered is minimal. Instead of producing answers to CTF challenges, ChatGPT can merely offer insight or guidance regarding the questions asked.

Infusing Morabaraba game design to develop a cybersecurity awareness game (CyberMoraba)

Numerous studies have confirmed the effectiveness of Cybersecurity Awareness Games (CAGs) in enhancing the security posture of diverse organizations. As these organizations increasingly face the formidable challenge of cyberattacks, implementing serious CAGs to solve this issue has become a paramount concern. This article introduces an innovative approach to cybersecurity education by presenting a serious CAG. The game aims to effectively educate students about critical aspects of cybersecurity awareness engagingly and interactively. The study aimed to redefine cybersecurity awareness training by introducing an indigenous game design that intricately incorporates the traditional South African Morabaraba board game. While the effectiveness of non-indigenous games like "Capture The Flag (CTF)" in cybersecurity training is acknowledged, indigenous designs have been overlooked. This research creatively integrates Morabaraba's gameplay into cybersecurity training, adapting it into a competitive game where players adopt the roles of either defenders or attackers, with corresponding tokens/images symbolizing various cyber defense and attack strategies. Both the defenders and attackers in the game can elevate their awareness scores by strategically positioning defensive or attacking images on the game board. Subsequently, a judging entity assesses the players' moves and assigns scores based on the accuracy of the images placed. The game mirrors real-world scenarios, promoting strategic thinking and leveraging interactive gameplay for practical insights into cybersecurity awareness. Players demonstrate their cybersecurity knowledge through offensive and defensive strategies. A group of 40 students evaluated the game's effectiveness, highlighting its potential to create an engaging and competitive learning environment that imparts cybersecurity principles and practical application. The evaluation of the game mechanics demonstrated a remarkably positive outcome, with students expressing both enjoyment and an enhanced understanding of cybersecurity awareness.

Gamifying Cybersecurity Education: A CTF-based Approach to Engaging Students in Software Security Laboratories

CTF (Capture the Flag) competitions are increasingly being used in information technology and software engineering education to teach students about secure coding best practices. This paper presents an approach to improve engagement of software engineering students during software security laboratory assessments by using CTF-style challenges that are fun to solve and reflect modern security threats. The approach involves gamifying laboratory exercises by providing CTF-like challenges that are not only enjoyable but also reflect real-world security vulnerabilities. Additionally, students are given a single virtual machine bundled with everything needed for the entire semester, eliminating unnecessary logistic problems. Feedback from students confirms the effectiveness of this approach in reaching course objectives. Students were keen to learn more about the topic and showed greater interest in the laboratories. This approach provides a more dynamic and interactive learning experience that fosters critical thinking skills and encourages students to pursue careers in software security.

Evaluation of an Internet of Things Device-Based Educational Approach to Engage a More Diverse Cybersecurity Workforce

Cybersecurity education heavily utilizes competition-based approaches, such as capture-the-flag (CTF) games to support the need for a skilled cybersecurity workforce. Although CTFs expose students to cybersecurity work competencies, their competitive nature may contribute to the lack of diversity in cybersecurity programs. In response, we developed a technology-based, experiential learning approach utilizing Internet of Things (IoT) devices to educate learners about cybersecurity concepts. We evaluated the approach’s effectiveness in engaging and sparking interest in a diverse sample of high school students. Our results indicated that (a) all participants reported a moderate challenge-skill balance, (b) underrepresented minorities (URMs) reported significantly higher engagement than non-URMs, and (c) significantly more female students compared to male students reported increased levels of intent to pursue cybersecurity after participating in the learning activity. We present the approach, methods, results, implications, and recommendations for the use of IoT devices in cybersecurity education to train a more diverse workforce.

Gamified Cybersecurity Education Through the Lens of the Information Search Process: An Exploratory Study of Capture-the-Flag Competitions [Research-in-Progress

Aim/Purpose. Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges are a popular form of cybersecurity education where students solve hands-on tasks in a game-like setting. These exercises provide learning experiences with various specific technologies and subjects, as well as a broader understanding of cybersecurity topics. Competitions reinforce and teach problem-solving skills that are applicable in various technical and non-technical environments outside of the competitions. Background. The Information Search Process (ISP) is a framework developed to under-stand the process by which an individual goes about studying a topic, identifying emotional ties connected to each step an individual takes. As the individual goes through the problem-solving process, there is a clear flow from uncertainty to clarity; the individual’s feelings, thoughts, and actions are all interconnected. This study aims to investigate the learning of cybersecurity concepts within the framework of the ISP, specifically in the context of CTF competitions. Methodology. A comprehensive research methodology designed to incorporate quantitative and qualitative analyses to draw the parallels between the participants’ emotional experiences and the affective dimensions of learning will be implemented to measure the three primary goals. Contribution. This study contributes significantly to the broader landscape of cybersecurity education and cognitive-emotional experiences in problem-solving. Findings. The study has three primary goals. First, we seek to enhance our under-standing of the emotional and intellectual aspects involved in problem-solving, as demonstrated by the ISP approach. Second, we aim to gain in-sights into how the presentation of CTF challenges influences the learning experience of participants. Lastly, we strive to contribute to the improvement of cybersecurity education by identifying actionable steps for more effective teaching of technical skills and approaches. Recommendations for Practitioners. Competitions reinforce and teach problem-solving skills applicable in various technical and non-technical environments outside of the competitions. Recommendations for Researchers. The Information Search Process (ISP) framework may enhance our understanding of the emotional and intellectual aspects involved in problem-solving as we study the emotional ties connected to each step an individual takes as the individual goes through the problem-solving process. Impact on Society. Our pursuit of advancing our understanding of cybersecurity education will better equip future generations with the skills and knowledge needed to ad-dress the evolving challenges of the digital landscape. This will better pre-pare them for real-world challenges. Future Research. Future studies would include the development of a cybersecurity curriculum on vulnerability exploitation and defense. It would include practice exploiting practical web and binary vulnerabilities, reverse engineering, system hardening, security operations, and understanding how they can be chained together.

AAHEG: Automatic Advanced Heap Exploit Generation Based on Abstract Syntax Tree

Automatic Exploit Generation (AEG) involves automatically discovering paths in a program that trigger vulnerabilities, thereby generating exploits. While there is considerable research on heap-related vulnerability detection, such as detecting Heap Overflow and Use After Free (UAF) vulnerabilities, among contemporary heap-automated exploit techniques, only certain automated exploit techniques can hijack program control flow to the shellcode. An important limitation of this approach is that it cannot effectively bypass Linux’s protection mechanisms. To solve this problem, we introduced Automatic Advanced Heap Exploit Generation (AAHEG). It first applies symbolic execution to analyze heap-related primitives in files and then detects potential heap-related vulnerabilities without a source code. After identifying these vulnerabilities, AAHEG builds an exploit abstract syntax tree (AST) to identify one or more successful exploit strategies, such as fast bin attack and Safe-unlink. AAHEG then selects exploitable methods via an abstract syntax tree (AST) and performs final testing to produce the final exploit. AAHEG chose to generate advanced heap-related exploits because the exploits can bypass Linux protections. Basically, AAHEG can automatically detect heap-related vulnerabilities in binaries without source code, build an exploit AST, choose from a variety of advanced heap exploit methods, bypass all Linux protection mechanisms, and generate final file-form exploit based on pwntools which can pass local and remote testing. Experimental results show that AAHEG successfully completed vulnerability detection and exploit generation for 20 Capture The Flag (CTF) binary files, 11 of which have all protection mechanisms enabled.

TAICHI: Transform Your Secret Exploits Into Mine From a Victim's Perspective

Acquiring and analyzing exploits, which take advantage of vulnerabilities to conduct malicious actions, are crucial for victims (and defenders) when responding to system compromising incidents. However, exploits are sensitive and valuable assets that are not available to victims. The most common resource available for victims to investigate is network traffic, which covers the exploitation period. Thus reconstructing exploits from network traffic is demanded. In practice, the reconstruction process is performed manually, thus inefficient and non-scalable. In this paper, we present an automated solution <monospace xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TAICHI</monospace> to reconstruct exploits from network traffic, able to generate replica exploits and facilitate timely incident analysis. By nature, a working exploit has to satisfy (1) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">path constraints</i> which ensure the program path same as the original exploit’s is explored and the same vulnerability is triggered, and (2) <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">exploit constraints</i> which ensure the same exploitation strategy is applied, e.g., to bypass deployed defenses or to stitch multiple gadgets together. We propose a hybrid solution to this problem by integrating techniques including multi-version execution (MVE), dynamic taint analysis (DTA), and concolic execution. We have implemented a prototype of <monospace xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TAICHI</monospace> on x86 and x86-64 Linux and tested it on the Cyber Grand Challenge (CGC) dataset, several Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges, and Metasploit exploit modules targeting real world applications. The evaluation results showed that <monospace xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">TAICHI</monospace> could reconstruct exploits efficiently with a high success rate. Moreover, it could be applied to production environments without disrupting running services, and could reconstruct exploits even if only one round of exploitation traffic is available.

Block-AD: Blockchain Attack-Defense CTF Competition for Next-Web3 Security

The rapid growth of blockchain technology hasintroduced newsecurity challengesin decentralized systems.In this paper, we present Block-AD, a Blockchain Attack-Defense Capture The Flag (CTF) competition aimed at improving smart contract security skills and addressing evolving security threats in Next-Web3 environments. Unlike traditional CTF competitions, participants engage in attack and defense actions to exploit vulnerabilities and protect their smart contract services. This game-based approach concludes with rewards distributed from the competition’s vault and the allocation of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) as proof of participation. This approach aims to provide a fun and engaging way to improve the security skills of all participants, as well as to identify and fix vulnerabilities in smart contracts. By combining blockchain technology, CTF methodology, and Next-Web3 security, Block-AD provides a unique and innovative approach for enhancing cybersecurity skills in decentralized systems and smart contracts.

Enhancing Competency of Cybersecurity Through Implementation of the “CAPTURE THE FLAG” On College in Indonesia

Academic institutions encounter several challenges when it comes to determining the most effective pedagogical approaches for enhancing their students' proficiency in the domain of cybersecurity. Conversely, cybersecurity gamification, exemplified by Capture the Flag (CTF) events in the industry, is widely considered an appropriate avenue for fostering cybersecurity learning. This research endeavors to assess the effectiveness of employing gamification as an instructional tool to enhance cybersecurity competency within the college context. The study employs a quantitative research method, adopting an experimental approach with a pre-experimental design. The research findings reveal the following key points 1) the implementation of gamification resulted in a significant enhancement of students' competency in cryptography, web vulnerability, and overall cybersecurity, 2) the gamification experiment demonstrated a stronger influence on enhancing practical skills as opposed to theoretical knowledge, 3) the evaluation of gamification's effectiveness in augmenting cybersecurity competency yielded a medium level (medium-g) of efficacy, reaching 65.91%. Although the medium level of effectiveness was observed in the context of gamification, it should be acknowledged that gamification holds substantial potential for advancing cybersecurity competency. For the attainment of optimal improvement in cybersecurity skills, a consistent and regular integration of gamification is recommended, while concurrently addressing the three pillars of cybersecurity. Furthermore, the utilization of gamification also presents opportunities for cultivating cybersecurity incident handling capabilities and the simulation of cyberwarfare scenarios

Framing Gamification in Undergraduate Cybersecurity Education

Gamification presents potential benefits in courses that traditionally require the comprehension of complex concepts and a high level of technical and abstract thinking. Courses in Cyber Security Operations (CSO) undergraduate education meet these criterion. This research evaluates organizational constructs that have been applied to gamification applications (GAs) in CSO education. It utilizes framing theory and frame-reflective discourse analysis to outline frames based on engagement levels and analyzes the current distribution of GAs. The following organizational constructs for GAs in data structures and algorithms education apply to CSO education: Enhanced Examination (EE), Visualization of Abstract Ideas (VAI), Dynamic Gamification (DG), Social and Collaborative Engagement (SGE), and Collaborative Gamification Development (CGD). Three additional frames are identified: Missions and Quests (MQ), Simulations (Sim) and Aspirational Learning (AL). MQ GAs have process-driven quests, stories, and/or descriptive scenarios to augment engagement. Sim GAs use environmental immersion to demonstrate real world problem solving while allowing freedom of movement. AL GAs use goal-based designs like Capture The Flag (CTF) missions to enhance engagement. Twenty-seven existing CSO GAs fit within the MQ frame as CSO education lends itself well to these types of experiences. Seventeen CSO GAs fall within the AL GA frame, many of these manifesting as CTF missions. Seventeen CSO GAs fit in the EE Frame due to their optimization in the analysis of learning progress. Nine Sim GAs were successfully deployed in CSO education, followed by 4 VAI, 3 SGE, and 3 DG GAs.

Developmental Challenges: Capture the Flag and the Professionalization of Cybersecurity

Over the past two decades, Capture the Flag (CTF) style competitions have grown expansively from their origins at early hacker conferences into a persistent feature of the cybersecurity workforce worldwide (Gondree et al., 2016). Today CTFs operate as a gateway into the workforce, operating as a hands-on educational experience, recruitment mechanism for industry and government, and as a marker of legitimacy within the cybersecurity/hacker community. Individual CTF challenges (ideally) interweave often complex software-based puzzles that map contemporary cybersecurity skill sets with hacker and cybersecurity subcultural touchstones, conferring status upon both players who successfully complete the challenges and the developers themselves. Drawing on a genealogy of DEFCON CTF competitions, this paper traces the “growing pains” of cybersecurity as a professional field. Reading these challenges as engines of hacker culture, this analysis will examine the contested cultural values embedded within CTF challenges over time, providing insight into the intertwined and co-constituted elements of hacker culture and cybersecurity skill sets.

Teaching by Practice: Shaping Secure Coding Mentalities through Cybersecurity CTFs

The use of the Capture the Flag (CTF)-style competitions has grown popular in a variety of environments as a method to improve or reinforce cybersecurity techniques. However, while these competitions have shown promise in student engagement, enjoyment, and the teaching of essential workforce cybersecurity concepts, many of these CTF challenges have largely focused on cybersecurity as a general topic. Further, most in-school CTF challenges are designed with technical institutes in mind, prepping only experienced or upper-level students in cybersecurity studies for real-world challenges. Our paper aims to focus on the setting of a liberal arts institute, emphasizing secure coding as the focus of CTF-engaged learning for beginner to upper-level undergraduate students. We propose a survey system to evaluate the secure coding mentality of our students before and after taking these challenges, as well as an easily-hosted, low-resource CTF platform that students can access either in or outside of the classroom. We have found this system to be moderately effective at framing and improving the secure coding mentalities of our students.

Web Application Security Education Platform Based on OWASP API Security Project

The trend of API-based systems in web applications in the last few years keeps steadily growing. API allows web applications to interact with external systems to enable business-to-business or system-to-system integration which leads to multiple application innovations. However, this trend also comes with a different surface of security problems that can harm not only web applications, but also mobile and IoT applications. This research proposed a web application security education platform which is focused on the OWASP API security project. This platform provides different security risks such as excessive data exposure, lack of resources and rate-limiting, mass assignment, and improper asset management which cannot be found in monolithic security learning application like DVWA, WebGoat, and Multillidae II. The development also applies several methodologies such as Capture-The-Flag (CTF) learning model, vulnerability assessment, and container virtualization. Based on our experiment, we are successfully providing 10 API vulnerability challenges to the platform with 3 different levels of severity risk rating which can be exploited using tools like Burp Suite, SQLMap, and JWTCat. In the end, based on our performance experiment, all of the containers on the platform can be deployed in approximately 16 seconds with minimum storage resource and able to serve up to 1000 concurrent users with the average throughput of 50.58 requests per second, 96.35% successful requests, and 15.94s response time.

Tunter: Assessing Exploitability of Vulnerabilities with Taint-Guided Exploitable States Exploration

Assessing the exploitability of vulnerabilities is critical for defenders. But the vulnerability-triggering samples available for analysts often do not trigger exploitable states, making it hard to accurately assess whether the underlying vulnerabilities are exploitable. Several customized fuzzing solutions have been proposed to address this problem, by searching for new vulnerability-triggering test cases that can enter exploitable program states. However, such solutions are inefficient and in general take an overwhelmingly long time to find exploitable states, due to the large number of program paths to explore and complicated path constraints to satisfy. In this paper, we present a new automated solution Tunter to assess the exploitability of vulnerabilities. It could explore exploitable program states and generate working exploits, even if only non-exploitable vulnerability-triggering samples are given. It adopts two novel techniques: (1) a taint-guided exploration procedure to explore candidate exploitable states; and (2) a pruning mechanism to prune unwanted states for exploitation to alleviate the state explosion issue faced by symbolic execution. We have implemented a prototype of Tunter and evaluated it on 14 capture-the-flag (CTF) programs and two real-world applications. The experimental results demonstrate that it has significant performance than state-of-the-art solution Revery (Wang et al., 2018). Specifically, it finds exploitable states for these 16 programs with a 75% recall and an 88.9% precision, and eventually generates working exploits for 11 out of these 16 programs. Moreover, Tunter is 41.02 times faster than Revery.

Analysis and Evaluation of Capture the Flag Challenges in Secure Mobile Application Development

Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges are frequently used as cybersecurity learning environments to engage students in cybersecurity education activities and learning, focusing on technical concepts. CTF challenges cover various learning topics. However, they do not always maintain a clear learning outcome. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to study and evaluate CTF challenges, then apply the evaluation methodology in two CTF challenges that relate to the development of secure mobile applications. For this proof of concept, we used the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) which is a cybersecurity educational framework published by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Additional information was used for the evaluation process which included threat, vulnerability, and weakness taxonomies proposed by Open Web Application Security Project® (OWASP) and Mitre Corporation (MITRE). The evaluation methodology could be used to assess and determine the learning outcomes of other existing or upcoming CTF challenges, including though not limited to secure mobile application development.

BofAEG: Automated Stack Buffer Overflow Vulnerability Detection and Exploit Generation Based on Symbolic Execution and Dynamic Analysis

Stack buffer overflow vulnerability is a common software vulnerability that can overwrite function return addresses and hijack program control flow, causing serious system problems. Existing automated exploit generation (AEG) solutions cannot bypass position-independent executable (PIE) exploit mitigation and cannot cope with the situation where the standard output function is not introduced into the program. In this paper, we propose a solution to alleviate the above difficulties: BofAEG, which is based on symbolic execution and dynamic analysis to automatically detect stack buffer overflow vulnerability and generate exploit. We used to capture the flag (CTF) and common vulnerabilities and exposures (CVE) programs for experiments. Results show that BofAEG can not only detect and generate exploits effectively but also implement more exploit techniques and is faster than existing AEG solutions.

Analysis of Cyber Security Knowledge and Skills for Capture the Flag Competition

CTF (Capture The Flag) competitions have emerged as a pivotal instrument in development of cyber security education over the past six years. It is imperative to ensure that the CTF competitions continue to develop to facilitate growth of cyber security education. To achieve the desired growth, it is necessary to analyze the progress achieved in the last six years the program has been implemented. This research collects and analyzes approximately 500 CTF solutions from the CTFtime platform. From the results of this analysis, we have identified that skills and techniques are needed in each category of CTF questions. We use the results of this analysis as a reference for questions on the CTF Platform that we created during PCT (Polibatam Cyber ​​Team) regeneration. PCT consists of a group of students from the Cyber ​​Security Engineering study program who are prepared to be at the forefront in participating in various activities related to Cyber ​​Security. The method we use is different from other CTFs, in that we use a skill-based and technique-based approach. We found that this approach was able to attract 80% of participants in solving and improving their skills in Cyber Security towards any challenges in a competitive environment.