Summary
Elite cybersecurity professionals and expert hackers can showcase their skills and compete in several high-profile, demanding competitions and events.
OnAir Post: Competitions for Professionals & Hackers
About
Major International Competitions and Conferences
- DEF CON Capture the Flag (CTF): Held annually at the DEF CON conference in Las Vegas, the CTF finals are considered the “World Cup” of hacking competitions. It is an “attack and defense” style event where teams manage their own networks/services and simultaneously try to exploit opponents’ systems. Winning teams earn the prestigious “Black Badge,” which grants free entry to all future DEF CON events. The qualification rounds (DEF CON CTF Quals) are also highly competitive and open to the public.
- Pwn2Own: Presented annually at the CanSecWest conference, Pwn2Own is a vulnerability exploitation contest that challenges professionals to find and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities in popular consumer software and devices, such as web browsers, operating systems, and mobile phones. Significant cash prizes and the exploited devices are awarded to the winners.
- Black Hat: A premier, highly technical security conference with events held globally. While primarily a conference for security practitioners and leaders, it hosts intense technical trainings and competitions like the record-breaking Capture The Flag hackathon at Black Hat MEA, which attracts a broad range of professionals and experts.
- Global CyberLympics: An international competition aimed at a broad scope of IT security professionals. It goes beyond basic CTF challenges, using a mixed style format that enforces teamwork and covers areas such as penetration testing, forensics, malware analysis, reverse engineering, and more.
Source: 11/8/2025
Competitions for Specific Sectors
- President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition: Hosted by CISA, this competition is specifically for the U.S. federal workforce to identify, recognize, and reward top cyber talent across government agencies. It features challenges based on real-world scenarios.
- DoE CyberForce Competition: Sponsored by the Department of Energy, this competition is designed for college students and professionals to exercise their skills in an interactive, scenario-based event focused on protecting critical infrastructure.
Online Platforms for Elite Practice
- Hack The Box (HTB): A well-known online platform offering a wide range of realistic, vulnerable virtual machines and “Hacking Battlegrounds” for all skill levels, from intermediate to expert. It is widely used by professionals to practice and sharpen penetration testing and security skills.
- CTFtime: While not a competition itself, CTFtime is a go-to resource for a comprehensive listing of upcoming Capture The Flag competitions (both online and on-site) from around the world, along with team rankings and challenge reviews. Elite teams monitor this site to find the most challenging global events.
