In the framework of the GLACY+ project, a joint project of the European Union and the Council of Europe, INTERPOL hosted the 6th Digital Security Challenge in Cebu, Philippines, from 19 -23 February 2024. This unique capture-the-flag competition was designed to hone the digital forensic and investigative skills of law enforcement personnel from across the globe. Forty-seven participants from 21 countries (Australia, Benin, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Chile, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Hungary, Japan, Kuwait, Latvia, Maldives, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Togo) participated and test their abilities in a simulated cybersecurity environment.
The Digital Security Challenge 2024 provided a valuable platform for law enforcement professionals to enhance their understanding of emerging cyber threats by fostering collaboration with international colleagues and strategic problem-solving.
This year's challenge theme was a ransomware attack by a sophisticated cybercriminal group. For 96 hours, participants were divided into seven teams to find the hidden flags. A total of 50 questions were prepared with varying difficulties.
The competition was fierce for seven participating teams and all of them were within the winning range until the very end. We congratulate the final three top-performing teams, showcasing their exceptional skills.
- 1st Place: ZeroBytes (Chile, Costa Rica, Latvia, Maldives, Mauritius, Philippines)
- 2nd Place: ForceTeam (Benin, Costa Rica, Philippines, Maldives, Mozambique, Nigeria)
- 3rd Place: MacheteKills (Benin, Chile, Ghana, Hungary, Nigeria, Paraguay, Philippines)
The GLACY+ team welcomes the contribution of the members of the law enforcement community and partners in the challenging contents: Korean National Police, Philippines National Police, Council of Europe experts, Hong Kong Police Force, and Uppsala Security (Singapore) provided questions for DSC 2024.