Code crackers clash in 24-hour Hackathon

MIRI: Aspiring ethical hackers across Malaysia put their skills to the test in a thrilling 24-hour online competition – the Curtin Malaysia Capture The Flag (CTF) Hackathon 2.0.

Organised by Curtin University Malaysia’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, in partnership with the Sarawak Digital Economy Corporation (SDEC), the hackathon drew participants from all corners of the country.

Held from Oct 12 to 13, it featured a series of complex cybersecurity puzzles, encompassing web security, cryptography, reverse engineering, forensics, and open-source intelligence (OSINT).

Building on the success of its inaugural edition, the 2024 CTF offered even more intricate challenges.

The stakes were high, with a total cash prize pool of RM7,500 up for grabs.

Only the top ten teams cracked the leaderboards, with the crème de la crème – the top three – earning a coveted opportunity to showcase their winning hacking strategies at the prestigious International Digital Economy Conference Sarawak (IDECS 2024) on Oct 17 in Kuching.

Here, these teams will demonstrate their techniques before a distinguished audience of industry leaders and digital economy experts.

To prepare for the intense competition, participants benefited from a series of pre-event workshops led by seasoned professionals in penetration testing (pentesting).

These sessions covered crucial topics like web security, forensics, reverse engineering, and OSINT, equipping competitors with the knowledge and tools needed to excel.

The event was meticulously coordinated by a team of experts from Curtin Malaysia, including Dr. Sivaraman Eswaran, Terence Tan, Foad Motalebi and co-organisers Nur Hartini Mardan, Manager of Tech & Talent Transfer at SDEC, and Janahtul Farha Mehboob Khan, Executive of Tech & Talent Transfer.

Curtin Malaysia offers a comprehensive three-year Bachelor of Computing in Cyber Security programme, equipping graduates with the skills to thrive in today’s ever-changing cybersecurity landscape.

Learn more about Cyber Security programme at https://curtin.edu.my/study/undergraduate/bachelor-cyber-security/