in Redmond • (but I’m speaking only on my behalf) • Co-founded a couple of hackerspaces • From around here • Went to U of T • Former Bell, MessageLabs/Symantec Cloud, independent consultant, failed startup founder • Hate when speakers spend too long on their bios, so I’ll shut up now. • @hypatiadotca on the tweeters
look like flag{sdjkfhekjhremn} or sometimes flag{forensics_is_fun} you then submit to a game server for point • Play alone or with others, sometimes at big events or just online
is like that, but for CTF. • Whatever lets you learn and have fun is the right way to play. • Even non-programmers and people who aren’t security specialists can learn and have fun playing – bond with your parents or kids*! *competition IRC channels etc. can be full of pottymouthed asshats. Don’t be that asshat.
student-only category •Some require you to be on-site •Some just want part of the team on-site, can have remote support •Qualification rounds – Defcon, CSAW (they fly you to NYC!)
of ~80 teams • Attack-Defend, student only CTF • Mentored by Alan Rosenthal at U of T – THANK YOU • 2013 NYU CSAW – placed ~300th out of ~1400 • Jeopardy style, open to non-students • Team Unicode Sparklehearts • Yup, I’ve only played two games. And I’m here talking to you. "What do I know now that I wish I knew a year ago?" --Jack Diederich
• Attack central services • Involves infrastructure, possibly a VPN Jeopardy • Challenges you download • Various points / difficulty levels • Attack central services
•Pick co- ordinator •Tactics •More infrastructure -1 Week •Hardware •Network •Logistics -1 to 3 Days •Food •Nap options At each checkpoint, check for any newly available information from the contest organizers!
to 3 Days At each checkpoint, check for any newly available information from the contest organizers! • Initial infrastructure: • mailing list • IRC channel • document share • Recruit! • Meet to go over tools, initial skills roster • Show newbies how to IRC. Freenode has webchat. Consider setting a password.
• Recruited on women-in-tech mailing lists • About 20 people (8 active in NYU game, in Seattle and online) • Variety of skill levels from non-programmers to kernel hackers • Anti-harassment policy for our team space • Recruiting non-jerks of all skill levels and genders!
Many of them are in Backtrack / Kali Linux • Check the resources at the end of this deck • Top n: • IDA • Web proxy • Notepad++/Textmate • Search engine • Scripting language (python ftw)
to 3 Days At each checkpoint, check for any newly available information from the contest organizers! • Review tactics • old pcaps and challenges • WALKTHROUGHS • Review skills roster • Figure out initial task breakdown • Pick a co-ordinator
to 3 Days At each checkpoint, check for any newly available information from the contest organizers! • Get computers in order: multiple OSes are a good idea • Server (maybe one with cuda-compatible video for cracking • Shells • Ensure you have a fat pipe + backup interwebs • Download rainbow tables • Spare laptops with Kali Linux • Whiteboards or butcher paper, markers, postits, lab notebooks • Switches and routers, printer • Consider letting your ISP know you'll be playing CTF
Week -1 to 3 Days At each checkpoint, check for any newly available information from the contest organizers! • Double-check your interwebs • Arrange food. • Reasonably healthy brain food. • Snacky things like carrots and hummus, fruit. • PROTEIN. WATER. • For longer CTFs, stock up on sleep! • If the game is 12+ hours, bring something to nap on - couches or thermarests, pillows, blankets.
alarms/reminders to regularly check for the following: • New challenges • Hints • Questions folks ask in IRC • People bragging on Twitter • Teammates who are stuck and need halpz
to the beginner folks on your team, based on the skills they want to focus on. • As a more experienced hacker, don’t be tempted to take the easy challenges. • Pair hacking! Let the newbie drive. Don't take away the keyboard. • If there are limited submissions or you’re penalized for too many, check their answers. • Leave some time at the end to tidy up beginner challenges.
two cups of coffee in the evening will give you another 12-24 hours of near-peak performance. SCIENCE! • Naps increase objective performance more than subjective – you’ll feel groggy but work better. PARADOXICAL! • Shorter naps: caffeine before 20-30 minute nap; the caffeine dose will hit you and you’ll wake up refreshed. • See Mythbusters S12E02 or “The Promise of Sleep”
a dedicated network • Flatten them after playing (backup your pcaps and samples!) • Spin up dedicated shells • Segment off recon/exploitation/ reversing network or have a second one Jeopardy • No VPN, so less scary • You can still do all the stuff to the left • Use VMs for exploitation • Patch! • If there’s a game IRC, use a different IP unless the server masks it.
team. Info on sector.ca under events • http://ctftime.org/ has listings of upcoming games • Meet at the bar after Jamie’s talk to find potential teammates!