The NeverLAN CTF is a jeopardy style Capture the Flag.
This event was created with the goal of teaching the younger generation about Computer Science and the value of critical thinking and problem solving.
The idea was born after five students experienced the inviting culture and community that is SaintCON. With this experience, they wanted nothing more than to show other students the awesomeness of the industry
while also teaching them ways to be safe online.
In their senior year of high school, these five students took on the task of building the event for their local community. Under the mentorship of Dan Daggett, the event came to life.
After the unbelievable success and feedback from the first year, five students' senior project developed into a annual event that would teach the younger generation the importance of Computer Security for years to come.
Computer Science is a vast subject that encompasses more than just writing code, therefore we try to touch on as many topics as we can to give the students a better understanding of what Computer Science is.
Students will learn about their digital footprint (cyber trail) through the manipulation of http headers.
They will learn about encryptions and how they are essential to keeping data secure as it is sent over the network/internet.
Critical thinking is promoted through challenges that require programming and logical steps.
Even what may seem as the simplest of tasks, such as writing a program to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, requires critical thinking skills!
Students will also learn about setting and editing cookies to change how a website will react. This is common practice in website development, and can show how safe a website really is.
We promote ethical hacking by giving students the opportunity to practice penetration testing in a controlled environment.
You may have heard the terms White Hat or Black Hat in context of Cyber Security. So what does the color of the hat mean?
A White Hat hacker is one who only hacks for good. They follow a code of ethics that prevents them from breaking the law.
A Black Hat hacker is one who hacks for personal gain. They ignore the law and hack for malicious intent only.
The NeverLAN CTF is a strong promoter for White Hat hacking and we encourage students to follow a code of conduct.
For a more in-depth explanation of `Hacker Hat` terms, take a look at these articles
Often people share similar questions. We hope to answer as many as we can on our FAQ page.
Our Contact page is a great way to reach us. Even if you don't have a question, feel free to say hi :)
As a non profit event, we are always looking for donations and supporter. If you and/or your company would like to support our event by helping to fund the cost of the servers and prizes please contact us at info<at>neverlanctf<dot>com, or DM us on twitter @NeverLanCTF.
We also have a donation link at the bottom of every page.
There are a lots of other CTF events out there! Most events are created by/for individual companies, but there are a lot of public events too. Some events are designed for more advanced developers, and some are designed for beginners, and of course there are events for everything in-between. We found that there weren't many CTF events for Middle School/Junior High School students, so we decided to make our own.
The best way to find a CTF event is to visit CTFTime
Here are some of our favorite CTF events (in no particular order):