Hackers Plan global game of 'capture the flag'

[NeonWizard]

LAS VEGAS--If everything goes as planned, for 72 hours next February hackers from all over the United States will hit targets across the Internet in the largest mass attack to date.

But the affected systems won't be corporate Web servers or networks, they'll be computers set up and maintained by other hackers as part of a capture-the-flag game. When the digital dust clears, the team from either the East Coast or the West Coast will be named winner.

"We have people take over someone's box and play the game from there," said "D.D.," a member of the Seattle-based security group Ghetto Hackers, which kicked off a smaller version of the game, Root Fu, at the Defcon hacking convention here on Friday. "In terms of our machines, we are pretty confident that we can contain it." The Ghetto Hackers have run the smaller capture-the-flag-type game, where eight teams hack each other on a closed network, for three years at the convention.

Next year, the group of hacking hobbyists hopes to take the game global. Dubbed Mega Root Fu, the new game will be the first large-scale hacking contest played over the public Internet. The group is allowing teams throughout the United States to sign up at its Web site and hopes to have a thousand players come February.

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[hypronix]

My only wonder is if a lot of the traffic going on will be logged in order to trace these hackers? Because even if the attacks aren't done on a computer who's owner will prompt the authorities, the authorities already know something's going to go down. I doubt they can actually arrest these hackers on any grounds [after all, this is just a larger scale wargame] but the Feds will be abe to have better knowledge of the whereabouts of certain figures in the underground.

[Tachyon]

Sorry to be sarcastic...but the 'whereabouts' of certain figures of the underworld? Ummm duh, Las Vegas, its called DefCon. Feds already know where they are, in fact thats part of the fun. I'm sure you've heard of the game 'spot the fed' which has been going on since DefCon began.


As long as they are hitting their own servers/clients, then its no different then if they were playing a hugh game of UT2k4.

=)


*Edit*
Also I'm sure those that are 'dialing' in are going to do just that. I'm sure some kind of VPN or dial in server would be set up in order to avoid legal situations that might arise with ISP's and such. The folks at DefCon are smart, I'm sure they have hashed out the details.

[hypronix]

DefCon's once a year. Some of these guys aren't exactly following Lamo's style and have a residence. Which the Feds don't necessarily know simply through DefCon.

It does make sense they would be using some dial-in servers for the job though. At least, hopefully they do.

[whizkid2300]

I must be honest, I sooooooo want to participate in that. It would be sooooo cool. Kind of a real live capture the flag, but geek style.

Hmm...

[kryptonic]

Ide definately participate. I plan on going to Defcon next year.