Invitation to participate in ECOWAS CTF Hackathon
Table of Contents
Introduction
I never thought I’d be writing this. As a software developer, my world revolves around writing clean and maintainable code, collaborating with fellow software developer in the opensource communities, and also contributing to open-source softwares. But life, as they say, is full of surprises.
A recent invitation to participate in ECOWAS CTF hackathon was sent to me. Since the application for my team and I to be involved was approved by the organizers, I found myself thrown headfirst into the ever busy world of cybersecurity.
What is a CTF hackathon
For readers who don’t know what is CTF, a CTF (Capture the Flag) hackathon is a high-stakes competition where individuals or teams solve a series of puzzles and challenges to “capture the flag.” There are different areas like web exploitations, reverse engineering, forensics, and cryptography. It’s a battleground for digital minds, a place where problem-solving meets adrenaline. As a source developer who is familiar to the software development way, the fast-paced, competitive nature of a CTF might be an interesting one for me.
About the ECOWAS CTF Hackathon
The ECOWAS Cybersecurity Hackathon is a Capture the Flag (CTF) competition organized by ECOWAS and Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, in collaboration with NITDA. It’s an opportunity for tech enthusiasts and cyber talents to enhance their cybersecurity skills and connect with peers from West Africa regions. Check the resources section for more info
Preparations
My initial reaction was a mix of excitement and some level of fear due to the fact that this is my first ever CTF hackathon challenge. How would my skills in understanding complex software systems and building collaborative solutions translate to the world of vulnerabilities, exploits, and reverse engineering? To prepare, I immerse myself completely into online tutorials, have done some practices on beginner-friendly CTF platforms like OverTheWire and PicoCTF where I’ve successfully completed three easy challenges. My fellow teammates are equally enthusiastic and we’ve been working diligently to build and improve our skills.
The organizers have scheduled an orientation webinar for August 6th, a day from now, to provide more details about the hackathon. I have some speculations that the platform for the competition might be SecDojo. As someone with a preference for offensive cybersecurity, I’m eager to see what challenges await my team and I.
Conclusion
I’ll be documenting our journey, sharing challenges, victories, and everything in between. So stay tuned as we navigate this new frontier and discover how our tech background shapes our approach to the world of cybersecurity.