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In person · Spring 2027 · Kean University Union campus · College students only · Tentatively Saturday, January 16, 2027

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rules

Rules and code of conduct

Short version: hack the challenges, not the platform and not each other. By registering, every player agrees to the rules below. Questions? Ask an organizer before you try something, not after.

1. Eligibility: who may take part

  • Open to current college and university students (undergraduate and graduate), 18 or older.
  • You confirm this with the required eligibility box when you register.

2. Scope: what you may attack

  • In scope: only the challenge hosts, files, and services linked from a challenge description on the CTF platform.
  • Out of scope: the CTF platform itself (login, scoreboard, admin pages), the event Wi-Fi and network, Kean University systems, the Discord server, and any machine you weren't pointed to.
  • If you find a bug in the platform or an unintended way to solve a challenge, tell an organizer instead of using it. We'll thank you, not penalize you.

3. Fair play

  • Don't attack, interfere with, or spy on other teams or their devices.
  • Don't share flags, solutions, or big hints with anyone outside your team while the event is running. After it ends, write-ups are welcome.
  • Teams have at most 4 people. One account per person, one team per person.
  • Don't brute-force flag submissions or the platform login. Wrong flags are rate-limited and repeated guessing will be noticed.
  • Don't run automated scanners (directory brute-forcers, vulnerability scanners, password crackers) against the platform. Use them on a challenge only if its description says it's allowed.
  • Don't try to take down, slow down, or reset challenge services. Others need them too.

4. Code of conduct

  • Be respectful to everyone: players, volunteers, sponsors, and staff. Harassment, discrimination, and hateful content aren't tolerated, in person or online.
  • Team, display, and user names must be appropriate. Organizers may rename or remove accounts.
  • Help beginners when you can. Nobody started out knowing this stuff.
  • Follow campus rules and any instructions from event staff.

5. Flags and scoring

  • Flags look like KEAN{...} unless a challenge says otherwise. Submit the whole string.
  • Easy challenges are worth a fixed 100 points and medium challenges a fixed 250.
  • Hard challenges use dynamic scoring: they start at 500 points and lose value as more teams solve them, down to 250.
  • If two teams have the same total score, the team that reached it first ranks higher.
  • Organizer decisions on scoring, disputes, and eligibility are final.

6. Disqualification

  • Breaking these rules can get you a warning, a point deduction, removal of your team from the scoreboard, or removal from the event, depending on how serious it is.
  • Attacking the platform or other teams, sharing flags, or harassment can mean immediate disqualification of the whole team without a warning.
  • If prizes are offered, they go only to teams in good standing at the end of the event.

privacy note

7. Privacy: your data, your choice

  • Resume and profile sharing is opt-in only. Sponsors see your profile or resume only if you choose to share it. Not sharing has no effect on your score, prizes, or anything else.
  • You can change your mind. Ask an organizer to withdraw your consent and we'll stop sharing your profile.
  • Your team name and score are public on the scoreboard. Sponsors who run a challenge track get a report of which teams and players solved their challenges.
  • We don't sell participant data, and this website has no analytics or tracking.