Let’s be trustworthy, the previous few years have been tough on all of us. Shifting our every day routines to match right this moment’s hybrid-work surroundings has been fairly a problem. A few of us are nonetheless adapting to our new method to work – whether or not hybrid or absolutely distant.
This problem isn’t new to us at Cisco. Earlier than the pandemic, we had globally dispersed groups. However discovering a stability between work and private life post-pandemic has grow to be much more of a necessity. Lots of our groups working throughout a number of areas and time zones face further obstacles. How can we allow our colleagues to come back collectively and problem-solve essential points in a enjoyable and thought-provoking surroundings?
Since 2021, the Cisco Product Safety Incident Response Crew (PSIRT) has been organizing the official Seize-the-Flag (CTF) train for Cisco’s Safety Analysis & Operations group. Contributors have loved the problem and cooperation of the CTF, elevating their consciousness about cybersecurity and studying about evolving assaults and how one can defend in opposition to them.
Yearly since then, now we have strived to create greater, higher, and extra enjoyable CTF occasions. In 2023, our targets have been to:
- Obtain our typical pleasure and nurture our need for collaboration
- Lengthen the occasion to early-in-career and non-technical staff to exhibit the significance of cybersecurity consciousness and training for organizations and people alike
This 12 months, we selected CyberStart, the revolutionary instructional platform inspiring the subsequent technology of cybersecurity professionals. CyberStart is an interesting platform sponsored by SANS that provides lots of of technical challenges starting from Offensive Safety to Programming to Forensics by a robust, but enjoyable, gamified narrative. This program additionally features a robust infrastructure and dependable assist staff to verify the CTF train 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 players at their very first CTF expertise. However this wasn’t the primary time Cisco and SANS partnered for a CTF occasion. Additionally they hosted the Cisco Girls in Cybersecurity CyberStart Problem in 2020.
Our members beloved it! However don’t take my phrase for it. Right here’s what we heard from the members after we requested them “How a lot did you take pleasure in this occasion?”
“The CTF is nice, however I believe challenges apart, the social facets of it, attending to know folks and work with them, is absolutely beneficial.” (Nick Leali – Technical)
“I actually loved it. I wasn’t significantly enthusiastic about doing it simply because I’m not in a technical function and don’t have a lot expertise with analyzing issues like pcap, mem, or taking a look at information too in depth, however as soon as I acquired going, I used to be having a variety of enjoyable. There have been a number of instruments that have been actually arduous to stand up and working on the Kali VM, so I ended up doing a little challenges on my private laptop working ubuntu. I truthfully would love for it to be longer.” (Claire Griffin – Non-Technical)
“I’m not in an uber-technical function, so I like that I can nonetheless resolve some challenges and usually have most instruments within the UI wanted to achieve success on the extra modest challenges.” (Travis Kober – Technical/Non-Technical)
“Nice occasion, and for me getting a staff collectively for some staff bonding was one of the best and supposed worth to enroll vs. what number of challenges accomplished.” (Greg Taam – Technical/Non-Technical)
Thank You SANS!
This was such a incredible expertise, and we achieved all our targets to assist cybersecurity consultants, non-technical, and early-in-career members study new instruments and procedures, interact collaboratively, and respect how one can resolve cybersecurity challenges collectively.
We extremely suggest CyberStart as a platform to study widespread cybersecurity threats and how one can research them in a enjoyable and collaborative manner. Attain out to SANS for extra info.
Thanks, SANS, for this superior platform and for sponsoring our annual occasion. We sit up for subsequent 12 months and the better challenges to come back.
We’d love to listen to what you assume. Ask a Query, Remark Under, and Keep Related with Cisco Safe on social!
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