Let’s be fair, the previous few years had been tough on all people. Transferring our day by day routines to compare these days’s hybrid-work setting has been somewhat a problem. A few of us are nonetheless adapting to our new way to paintings – whether or not hybrid or absolutely far flung.

This problem isn’t new to us at Cisco. Prior to the pandemic, we had globally dispersed groups. However discovering a stability between paintings and private existence post-pandemic has grow to be much more of a need. Lots of our groups operating throughout more than one areas and time zones face further stumbling blocks. How are we able to allow our colleagues to return in combination and problem-solve essential problems in a amusing and thought-provoking setting?

Since 2021, the Cisco Product Safety Incident Reaction Group (PSIRT) has been organizing the reliable Seize-the-Flag (CTF) workout for Cisco’s Safety Analysis & Operations group. Individuals have loved the problem and cooperation of the CTF, elevating their consciousness about cybersecurity and studying about evolving assaults and the way to protect in opposition to them.

Annually since then, we’ve got strived to create larger, higher, and extra amusing CTF occasions. In 2023, our objectives have been to:

1. Succeed in our same old pleasure and nurture our need for collaboration
2. Prolong the development to early-in-career and non-technical staff to display the significance of cybersecurity consciousness and training for organizations and people alike

This yr, we selected CyberStart, the cutting edge tutorial platform inspiring the following technology of cybersecurity pros. CyberStart is a fascinating platform subsidized by way of SANS that gives masses of technical demanding situations starting from Offensive Safety to Programming to Forensics via a formidable, but amusing, gamified narrative. This program additionally features a sturdy infrastructure and dependable toughen workforce to ensure the CTF workout runs easily.

We had greater than 60 gamers from all over the world, talking greater than 10 languages, with some technical gurus and a few informal CTF avid gamers at their first actual CTF revel in. However this wasn’t the primary time Cisco and SANS partnered for a CTF match. Additionally they hosted the Cisco Ladies in Cybersecurity CyberStart Problem in 2020.

Our individuals beloved it! However don’t take my phrase for it. Right here’s what we heard from the individuals once we requested them “How a lot did you revel in this match?”

“The CTF is superb, however I feel demanding situations apart, the social facets of it, getting to grasp other people and paintings with them, is in point of fact treasured.” (Nick Leali – Technical)

“I in point of fact loved it. I wasn’t in particular enthusiastic about doing it simply because It’s not that i am in a technical position and don’t have a lot revel in with inspecting such things as pcap, mem, or having a look at recordsdata too intensive, however after I were given going, I used to be having a large number of amusing. There have been a couple of equipment that have been in point of fact exhausting to rise up and operating at the Kali VM, so I stopped up performing some demanding situations on my non-public laptop operating ubuntu. I in truth would really like for it to be longer.” (Claire Griffin – Non-Technical)

“It’s not that i am in an uber-technical position, so I like that I will be able to nonetheless resolve some demanding situations and most often have maximum equipment within the UI wanted to achieve success at the extra modest demanding situations.” (Travis Kober – Technical/Non-Technical)

“Nice match, and for me getting a workforce in combination for some workforce bonding used to be the most productive and meant price to enroll vs. what number of demanding situations finished.” (Greg Taam – Technical/Non-Technical)

Thank You SANS!

This used to be such an unbelievable revel in, and we completed all our objectives to lend a hand cybersecurity mavens, non-technical, and early-in-career individuals be informed new equipment and procedures, have interaction collaboratively, and recognize the way to resolve cybersecurity demanding situations in combination.

We extremely counsel CyberStart as a platform to be informed about not unusual cybersecurity threats and the way to learn about them in a amusing and collaborative means. Achieve out to SANS for more info.

Thanks, SANS, for this superior platform and for sponsoring our annual match. We sit up for subsequent yr and the higher demanding situations to return.

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