Capture The Flag
3.0.

Cryptography

Recognize patterns, decode information, analyze historical and modern encryption methods, and recover hidden messages.

• SkillsCiphers, encoding, hashing

Web Security

Inspect how applications behave, identify insecure code or configuration, and find a route to protected information.

• SkillsHTTP, source analysis, vulnerabilities

Digital Forensics

Follow evidence across files, metadata, logs, network data and other artifacts to reconstruct what happened.

• SkillsFile analysis, metadata, logs

OSINT

Search public sources effectively, correlate clues and identify the intelligence needed to reach the flag.

• SkillsSearch, reconnaissance, correlation

A continuing joint series

CTF 3.0 continues the Capture The Flag series organized jointly by the ACM Club and CyberTech Club at Prince Sultan University's College of Computer and Information Sciences. The collaboration connects ACM's wider computing community with CyberTech's cybersecurity focus in one practical programme.

Training before competition

The shared programme is broader than competition day. Preparation workshops introduce the same four domains used in the CTF—cryptography, web security, digital forensics and OSINT—before participants enter the cyber range.

A record across editions

The archive identifies CTF 1.0 as the inaugural joint edition, preserves verified results and aggregate analytics from CTF 2.0, and documents the schedule and format of CTF 3.0 as the current collaboration.

Open the collaboration archive

Preparation workshops

Public training is scheduled by category before the competition: web and cryptography on 21 October; forensics and OSINT on 22 October. Session times, locations, instructors and detailed prerequisites have not yet been announced.

Check workshop updates

What to bring

Every participant must bring a personal laptop and charger. Organizers provide network access on site. Any workshop-specific software or virtual-machine requirements will be announced with the workshop details.

• LaptopRequired
• ChargerRequired
• Network accessProvided on site

Scope and safety

Participants may interact only with systems, files and targets explicitly provided for the competition. Unauthorized scanning, attacks on out-of-scope infrastructure, interference with other teams or credential misuse can result in disqualification.

Difficulty and scoring

Challenges range from Very Easy to Insane. Point values may vary and can be assigned dynamically based on solve rates; the exact challenge database remains classified until competition day.

• Difficulty rangeVery Easy → Insane
• ScoreboardActivates competition day