First Internal CTF

After the success of our recruitment challenge and the formation of a small but promising core team, we knew it was the right time to take the next step. To keep the momentum going, VERDESEC organized its very first internal Capture-The-Flag (CTF) competition.

The event was shared through WhatsApp and our newly created Discord server, making it accessible to the same batch of students who had shown interest earlier. This internal CTF was designed with learning in mind. Rather than focusing purely on difficulty, the challenges were meant to introduce participants to the CTF experience in a structured and approachable way. For many of them, this was their first real hands-on exposure to cybersecurity problems in a competitive setting.

To make things more exciting, we prepared Steam game keys as prizes for the top 10 performers. That small addition brought an extra sense of energy to the event and gave participants another reason to stay engaged from start to finish.

More than just a competition, the internal CTF served as a training ground. It gave participants the opportunity to apply what they knew, experiment with new techniques, and gradually build confidence as they progressed through the challenges. Each solve was a chance to learn, and each setback was part of the process of becoming more comfortable with practical cybersecurity work.

Participants approached the event with genuine enthusiasm, and the competitive spirit quickly became visible on the scoreboard. One standout moment was how quickly the fastest player completed the entire machine, managing to finish it in less than a day, even though most participants were still relatively new to CTFs at the time.

This first internal CTF played an important role in shaping VERDESEC’s direction. It showed that with the right environment, beginners could be encouraged to explore cybersecurity in a way that was both challenging and enjoyable. It also set the stage for the many workshops, competitions, and hands-on events that would follow.