PicoCTF: Hacking challenge

     All the ones among us who show a keen interest in computers and programming, at some point or the other, is bound to have marveled at hackers navigating green falling matrices in Hollywood films, or wondered how hackers go through the most secure firewalls on the planet after reading news reports of hacker strikes or after finishing Dan Brown's novel 'The Digital Fortress'. 

     While using one's ability to steal sensitive data and turn lives of several innocent users into misery is a highly condemned practice, ethical hacking, or white-hat hacking, is an important skill that must be possessed by anyone looking to get into the field of system securities. Unfortunately, the majority of the present generation, while being well versed and quick to adapt to cutting-edge technological innovations, knows little about the underlying layers of security and their possible exploits.

     Whether you are just a tech junkie trying to learn more, or someone looking for new challenges in cryptography and programming, or someone genuinely interested in learning more about the field of security and encryption, Capture The Flag competitions or CTFs are just the right place to swing by. However, many such competitions are aimed at experts and sets the bar of standard very high, almost too high for newcomers to take up. This is where PicoCTF, a CTF challenge set up primarily for students, becomes just the perfect place for you. While the original PicoCTF 2014 competition is long done, all the challenges is still open for everyone around the world, to try out totally for free.

     While classic Vigenere Ciphers and simple substitution ones to modern-day XOR ciphers serve the main course in cryptography, brilliantly crafted codes in languages ranging from Java to assembly language provide plenty of reverse engineering fun. Add web exploitation and other interesting challenges to the mix, and what you have is an entertaining, non-boring, and educational series of challenges sure to thrill anyone willing to spent some time on it.

     Totally worth taking a look at!