Back to Events

IT Security Forum: Hands on Security Capture The Flag

Tuesday, March 31, 2026
5:00 PM - 9:00 PM (EDT)
Register Now
Category: IT Security Forum
IT-Security Professionals Capture the Flag!
This year, the RBTC IT-Security Forum CTF is on Tuesday, March 31st, after work from 5:30 - 9pm!   
Are you ready to hack?!?
Whether you're a gray-beard IT-Professional, a read-team Cyber Pentester, or a green IT-Security n00b — if you love hands on IT-Security, then this Capture the Flag event is for you! Our Jeopardy -Style  CTF is the #1 professional Cybersecurity in the ROA/NRV area that attracts the hottest regional Sys-Admin/IT/Network-security and Pentester professionals, and is created and run by the Virginia Cyber Range.
Agenda:
5:00 - Arrivals, food, networking
5:30 - Official start time, announcements, agenda
5:45 - Sponsor microphone
6pm - CTF start time
9pm - CTF end time
9:15  - awards, photos
This year we're moving the event to the Christiansburg New River Community College (mall) STEM campus. Our CTF features tongue-in-cheek "Hollywood-hacker" style mood lighting, pumping electronica background music, food, drinks and $1,000 in IT-Professional themed IT-Security prizes. You don't want to miss this once-a-year regional IT-Pro event! A GREAT place to network with IT-Security professionals in a fun environment.
Our Jeopardy-style, 3hr, hands on hacking CTF itself is loaded with brand-new challenges from classic cybersecurity categories such as Cryptography, Recon, Reverse Engineering, and cool new Web challenges!.. as well as our super fun "IRL" (in-real-life) challenges that includes physical RFID/RF sniffing, network/portscan challenges and more!
Gear To Bring:
We provide the tables and power strips, but you need to minimally bring your laptop and power supply.  We also have a number of high-point-value "IRL" (in real life) physical challenges.. but if you want to solve these hands-on challenges, it will benefit you bring/acquire any of the following to really rack up some big-time points:
You can solve most of these challenges on Windows/Mac based laptops, but Linux or a pentesting distro like Kali Linux or Parrot OS will come in super handy.
Our Favorite Networking Challenge Returns!
The infamous Portscan LED Matrix is back!
(will be a different pattern this year)
Our LED Matrix, port scanning challenge, is always a high stress crowd pleaser. Jump through some hoops to get ssh'd in to connect and get whitelisted, then port scan only the blue LEDs (no red) and that pops the main flag and sets off spinning red lights, getting you some BIG points on the scoreboard!.. To prepare, you really need to know how to work with ssh keys, and beef up on your port scans kung-fu (see this live successful scan video here).
To RSVP, watch for our event listing on the RBTC site here: https://www.rbtc.tech/calendar/category/rbtc-events/it-security-forum/ 
Come join us, play the CTF, have fun and learn something new!
P.S. For a itemized listing of the $1,000 in IT-Security prizes, stay tuned to the RBTC [Security-Announce] mail list here.
Register Now