Sponsors:
2023 ABC Cybersecurity Project Presents
Starting in:
Built into this year’s Cybersecurity Project is yet another exciting cybersecurity Hackathon. The American Business Council Nigeria (ABC Nigeria) & Comercio in partnership with Private Sector partners are hosting a Cyber Hackathon 2023.
The Council wishes to draw attention to the talents that exist in this space whilst highlighting the need to help build capacity and innovation that not only strengthen and sustain Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem but allows for competition on a global level.
It is the desire of ABC and its partners to have the hackathon that will encourage discussions about innovation, upskilling, entrepreneurship and mentorship in Africa’s cyberspace, cyber-attacks and how to mitigate them, and the state of the continent’s cybersecurity regulatory framework. This initiative seeks to drive capital, capacity and policy investment required to effectively secure Africa’s digital space.
The 2023 Cyber Hackathon is open to students, experts, and freelance cybersecurity personnel and developers who have experience working in the cybersecurity space and have shown some level of expertise.
This year’s cyber hackathon is divided into two competitions: Capture the Flag Competition and The Developer’s Hackathon.
Apply and fill the online form HERE.
Start Hacking!
Applications are due on the 24th October, 2023 at 8pm (Nigeria time).
Questions regarding the competition must be submitted via email to info@abccCyberHackathon.org. Questions and answers will be posted to the website for all potential applicants.
The Cyber Hackathon will have one final round. This will be held on the 31st October, 2023. The top three teams for the developer hackathon and the top two individual hackers for the Capture the Flag Competition will be awarded on the 30th November, 2023 at the 2023 Cybersecurity Conference by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.
The Cyber Hackathon will offer prizes such as In-Person Trainings at Silicon Valley, Virtual Trainings from Draper University for all participants, Intensive Cybersecurity Trainings with Cisco, Laptops and Other Tech Gadgets and Promotional Gifts from Partners.
CTF (Capture The Flag) is a special type of information security competition that challenges contestants to solve a variety of tasks ranging from a scavenger hunt on public websites to basic programming exercises, to hacking your way into a server to retrieve sensitive data.
CTF consists of a series of challenges that vary in their degree of difficulty, and that require participants to exercise different skillsets to solve. Once an individual challenge is solved, a “flag” is given to the player, and they submit this flag to the CTF server to earn points. Players can be lone wolves who attempt the various challenges by themselves, or they can work with others to attempt to score the highest number of points as a team.
CTF events are usually timed, and the points are totaled once the time has expired. The winning player / team will be the one that solved the most challenges and thus secured the highest score.
These types of tasks usually require some sort of programming to solve. In most cases, it will involve a mixture of programming and some reverse engineering.
These challenges feature common “real world” scenarios that often include the ever-popular ransomware type of malware.
These tasks will force you to determine how to exploit (using buffer overflow, string format, SQL injection, etc.…) a given running process on the CTF target machine.
These are web-related tasks where you need to find real world vulnerabilities in web applications.
For tasks like this, you are given an executable where you need to reverse the functionality and extract the embedded flag.
Participants will be tasked with either recovering the digital trail left on a computer, finding data which is seemingly deleted, not stored, or worse, covertly recorded.
Tasked with finding information hidden in files, images, audio tapes, etc.
This year’s cybersecurity hackathon is divided into two competitions: Capture the Flag Competition and The Developer’s Hackathon.
ABC Capture the Flag competition is a thrilling and immersive cybersecurity challenge that invites participants to test their hacking skills in a controlled and competitive environment. Here’s what you can expect from our CTF competition:
Objective: The primary goal of the CTF competition is to discover and exploit vulnerabilities in simulated environments. Participants will engage in a series of technical challenges, ranging from web security and network penetration to cryptography and reverse engineering.
Challenges: We’ve meticulously crafted a diverse set of challenges that span various domains within cybersecurity. These challenges include but are not limited to steganography, web security, network security, system security, forensics, reverse engineering, and cryptography. Participants will face tasks of varying difficulty levels, ensuring an engaging experience for all skill levels.
Fair Play: The CTF competition is designed to encourage fair play and ethical hacking practices. Participants must adhere to strict rules and a code of conduct that promotes responsible behavior during the competition.
Prizes and Recognition: We offer attractive prizes and awards for the top-performing individuals. The CTF competition provides an opportunity to showcase your hacking talents, gain recognition in the cybersecurity community, and win valuable prizes.
The developer hackathon is a creative and collaborative coding competition that challenges participants to build innovative solutions to real-world problems. Here are the key highlights of our developer hackathon:
Objective: In the developer hackathon, participants will work on hands-on coding projects that require innovation and problem-solving skills. You’ll have the chance to develop solutions that address specific challenges or themes, ranging from technology and application development to social and environmental issues.
Themes and Challenges: We’ve defined a set of themes and challenges for the hackathon, each focusing on a different aspect of development. These themes may include mobile app development, web application projects, IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, and more. You’ll have the opportunity to choose a challenge that aligns with your interests and skills.
Collaboration and Networking: The hackathon encourages collaboration and teamwork. Participants will have the chance to work with like-minded individuals, share ideas, and leverage the expertise of mentors and experts present at the event.
Prizes and Recognition: The developer hackathon offers a platform to showcase your coding prowess and creativity. Winning teams will be recognized and awarded prizes that reflect their achievements.
Innovation: The developer hackathon is a breeding ground for innovation. You’ll have the opportunity to create solutions that can make a real impact on the world, and your work may open doors to new opportunities and partnerships.
Both the Capture the Flag competition and the developer hackathon promise exciting challenges, skill-building, networking, and the opportunity to demonstrate your talents in your chosen domain. Join us for an unforgettable experience that combines the thrill of competition with the potential to learn, grow, and contribute to the world of cybersecurity and technology.
