The CyberHerd 2 team won first place at the EC-Council CTF, with the team made up of three Cyberherd members: Yeran Garnage (Cybersecurity major, Junior), Alex Sanders (Cybersecurity, Senior), and Samir Jihadi (Computer Science, Sophomore). This event recruited several teams from regional universities including University of Tampa, St Pete College, and USF.
The event consisted of two guided and two unguided sections where contestants either answered questions about the system they were trying to hack or find flags for points once they had access to a certain user or root. The challenges involved topics such as Linux Privilege Escalation, Wi-Fi Hacking, Network Traffic Analysis, Reverse Engineering, among several others. 鈥淚t was more similar to a pen testing competition than capturing a flag,鈥� said Alex Sanders.
However, the biggest challenge was the time limit. 鈥淭here was only 3 hours for the competition, which is very short,鈥� said Alex Sanders. 鈥淲e were confident that if we got to the unguided sections with an hour of time left, we would have a good chance to win.鈥�
What truly set them apart were the countless hours spent not just on HackTheBox but also on disciplined collaboration within their team. 鈥淓ach member brought unique expertise and an unwavering drive to succeed,鈥� said Yeran Gamage, the CyberHerd 2 Team Captain. 鈥淚 focused on Linux Privilege Escalation and Network Traffic Analysis, diving into system vulnerabilities and uncovering hidden data in network traffic.鈥�
With their combined expertise, coordination, and training on HackTheBox, CyberHerd has developed a strong foundation with penetration testing which is a big advantage versus other schools. 鈥淲inning first place is a testament to our collective effort, technical skill, and determination to excel in the field of cybersecurity,鈥� said Yeran Gamage. 鈥淚'm thankful for Dr. Marbin for the opportunity and the guidance he provides as well as Waseem Albaba and Jacob Hammargen for their leadership as Captain and co-captain.鈥�