Young Cybersecurity Enthusiasts Capture Flags at Cybersecurity Event, hosted at NTU

More than 750 young cybersecurity enthusiasts spent their weekend solving security-related challenges at the student-led BlahajCTF event sponsored by the Centre for Strategic Infocomm Technologies (CSIT).

The top 80 participants went on to compete for a prize pot worth SGD2650 at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), the venue sponsor for the event.

Team elio emerged the Champions at the event. The four-member team from Hwa Chong Institute comprised Lim Chang Jun, Ng Chen Yi, Sun Beichen, and Tey Yi Xiang. They walked away with a SGD1000 cash prize and one big blahaj soft toy each.

Second place went to team 物理不存在 from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) comprising Chen Haowei, Nigel Lee, Ryan Chen, and Wong I-En. Third place went to Team SCUWN from NUS High School comprising Alexis Henri Milesi, Ang E Herng Ayden, Brandon Nathaniel Yaury, and Khoo Kai Wen. 

Team elio, Hwa Chong Institute

Team物理不存在, ACS (I)

Team SCUWN, NUS High

The event was organised by a group of students led by NUS High’s Wang Zerui, a gold medal winner at the inaugural International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI). Zerui and his group of some 20 volunteers worked over 2000 hours in total to organise the event.  “The most satisfying thing for me is seeing so many people participate actively in the CTF, whether it be attending for training, playing in our community Minecraft server, or submitting over 3000 correct flags in total. Seeing communities being formed over such interactions really melted my heart, and it was really heartening that I could give back to the cybersecurity community in Singapore by organizing this CTF,” said Zerui (Row 1: First from left).

BlahajCTF organisers with a representative from CSIT

Among the volunteers were full-time National Servicemen (NSF) David Lim and Justin Lim who were challenge authors for the competition. No stranger to such competitions, the two NSFs were happy to contribute to the community through such engagements.

21-year-old David encourages beginners to join such competitions for the opportunity to hone their skills and learn from others. Justin, 19, agrees that such engagements provide the right environment for practitioners to learn and develop their skills.

Professor Luke Ong Vice President (AI & Digital Economy) Dean (CCDS)

Professor Luke Ong, Vice President (AI & Digital Economy) and Dean of the College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS) is heartened to see young people deeply engaged in the arena of cybersecurity. He said, “Such competitions provide participants with hands-on cybersecurity experience, enhancing technical skills, problem-solving, and critical thinking. They simulate real-world scenarios, helping students understand industry expectations while fostering collaboration in high-pressure situations. The event also offers networking opportunities with peers, mentors, and professionals, boosting confidence and career prospects.”

Related Information The International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) is a prestigious annual competition that inspires and challenges passionate high school students globally to explore AI's limitless possibilities, fostering the next generation of AI pioneers and problem solvers. As the Country Coordinator for IOAI Singapore, NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science (CCDS), in collaboration with AI Singapore, selects the Singapore National Team to compete at the international level. These students will undergo a stringent selection process to qualify for IOAI 2025 in Beijing China. The first stage in this selection process is the National Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (NOAI). Registration closes on 25 January 2025.