Capture-the-Flag Challenges in Computer Security

Learning Outcomes

After having completed the course, students should:

• understand and explain the different approaches of CTF challenges;
• understand and solve common CTF challenges posed by others;
• be able to design and implement new CTF challenges;
• be able to analyze and critically evaluate the solvability of new CTF challenges;
• be able to reason about the relevance of CTFs for cybersecurity education;
• be able to use and work with technical CTF platforms;
• have enough competence to participate in CTF challenge competitions, e.g., on the Swedish or European level;
• be able to present and discuss their CTF challenge activities.

Course Content

The term “Capture-the-Flag challenge” refers to various interactive computer-based tasks in cybersecurity education and computer science in general. All of them have in common that a challenge is posed to the participants that need to be solved, e.g., within a given timeframe or as a team in a CTF contest.

In this course, students explore the different variations of CFTs, solve existing CTF challenges, and develop their own CTF challenges to pose to others.

 

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