US Cyber Challenge: Cyber Quests January 2013
Welcome to the Cyber Quests portion of the US Cyber Challenge, sponsored by Cyber Aces!
Cyber Quests are a series of fun but challenging on-line competitions allowing participants to demonstrate their knowledge in a variety of information security realms. Each quest features an artifact for analysis, along with a series of quiz questions. Some quests focus on a potentially vulnerable sample web server as the artifact, challenging participants to identify its flaws using vulnerability analysis skills. Other quests are focused around forensic analysis, packet capture analysis, and more. The quests have varying levels of difficulty and complexity, with some quests geared toward beginners, while others include more intermediate and ultimately advanced material.
Cryptography (January):
| Date | Description |
|---|---|
| Tue. Nov. 27, 2012 10:00am EST | Registration opens |
| Fri. Jan. 18, 2013 7:00am EST | Quiz opens |
| Wed. Jan. 30, 2013 9:00pm EST | Registration closes |
| Thu. Jan. 31, 2013 11:59pm EST | Quiz closes |
"Anyone, from the most clueless amateur to the best cryptographer, can create an algorithm that he himself can't break."
~Bruce Schneier, summarizing a statement made by Charles Babbage in 1864
Just as lots of effort has been put in to protect data, much (if not more) effort has been put forth to break that protection. This challenge follows the history of cryptography and cryptanalysis since the creation of the first recorded uses. You will be looking at these systems and decrypting the messages to progress through this challenge. Good Luck, or should we say Tbbq Yhpx!
Registration will open on November 27, 2012, and will close on January 30, 2013. The quiz will be available from January 18, 2013 until January 31, 2013. Registered users will each have three attempts to take the quiz. For each of your three attempts, you will have 24 hours from the time you begin the quiz to complete it, and you may only submit your answers once per attempt. For each attempt, if you do not submit the answers within 24 hours of when you start, or by 11:59pm EST on January 31, 2013 (whichever comes first), you will receive a zero score for that attempt. Winners will be determined based on who achieves the highest score in the shortest amount of time. In the event of a tie score, the shortest time is the winner.
Any user found to have registered for more than one account, or users found to have shared answers, will be disqualified and ineligible for any awards, prizes, scholarships or other opportunities presented as a result of Cyber Quests.
Visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and the Cyber Aces Website for updated information
on the competition and awards throughout the registration and competition period.
For more information about Cyber Quests, please contact Karen Evans at kevans@uscyberchallenge.org.
Technical Support questions about the challenge should be directed to support@cyberquests.org. However, please keep in mind that we will not give answers to the quiz itself.
PRIVACY STATEMENT:
All information will be used in connection with the activities associated with the US Cyber Challenge and the Cyber Aces Foundation, including statistical reporting for accounting of performance metrics regarding the participants.