HITBSecConf2012: Revamped live hacking competition
What first began as a small gathering for computer security enthusiasts in 2002, Hack In The Box Security Conference (HITBSecConf) has since grown into a must attend event in the calendar of security professionals from around the world.
In May this year, HITBSecConf will again return to Amsterdam for the European leg of its conference where it will unleash Bank0verflow – the latest evolution of its Capture The Flag competition.
A team-based, “live hacking’ challenge, the CTF competition is not only a huge crowd puller but annually attracts top players and unearths up and coming talent from all over Asia and Europe. Players come to not only prove their skills amongst their peers but to also claim the bragging rights of competing in one of the most grueling network security “games’ around.
The latest evolution of the CTF – “Bank0verflow’ – will comprise both attack and defense modules. Bank0verflow will see teams of 3 provided with a set of custom vulnerable services and web applications. Teams need to exploit their rivals’ machines to retrieve pre configured “flags’ to score offensive points and obtain defensive points by keeping their own vulnerable services running.
“In Bank0verflow, each team will own a bank and will start with the same amount of “money’ in their accounts. Teams need to acquire “spies’ to infiltrate their rival banks to score offensive points and defensive points are obtained when teams keep their bank “utilities’ up”, said Jurre “Dr Whax’ van Bergen, HITB.nl CTF Overlord.
“This is also the first time that we are collaborating with the guys from the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP Netherlands) in putting together a Capture the Flag game and we are really excited to be working with them!”, he continued.
The competition kicks off at 10:30 CET on the 24th of May at the Okura Hotel in Amsterdam and will run across two days. The CTF will be held at the open Technology Showcase Arena so members of the public can come and watch the competition and cheer for favoured teams throughout both conference days. Winners will be announced at the conference closing session on the 25th.

“HITB’s CTF offers a unique insight into the mind of a hacker and has been used by corporations from the oil and gas industry to Big 5 consulting firms to not only test and evaluate their internal team capabilities plus uncover unique skills amongst their work force but to also scout for fresh, new talent”, said Dhillon Kannabhiran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Hack In The Box.
Teams can register for the competition by emailing ctfinfo@hackinthebox.nl with their team name and member details. Registration is free and on a first come, first serve basis but there are limited slots and this year’s CTF can accommodate a maximum of 8 teams (3 members per team) so participants are urged to sign up early.