Wargame (hacking)

This article is about the cyber-security contest. For the 1983 film, see WarGames. For military training exercises, see Military exercise. For other, similar terms, see War Game.

In hacking, a wargame (or war game) is a cyber-security challenge and mind sport in which the competitors must exploit or defend a vulnerability in a system or application, and/or gain or prevent access to a computer system.^[1][2][3]

A wargame usually involves a capture the flag logic, based on pentesting, semantic URL attacks, knowledge-based authentication, password cracking, reverse engineering of software (often JavaScript, C and assembly language), code injection, SQL injections, cross-site scripting, exploits, IP address spoofing, forensics, and other hacking techniques.^[4]

Wargames for preparedness

Wargames are also used as a method of cyberwarfare preparedness.^[5] The NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE) organizes an annual event, Locked Shields, which is an international live-fire cyber exercise.^[5][6] The exercise challenges cyber security experts through real-time attacks in fictional scenarios and is used to develop skills in national IT defense strategies.^[6]

Additional applications

Wargames can be used to teach the basics of web attacks and web security, giving participants a better understanding of how attackers exploit security vulnerabilities.^[1] Wargames are also used as a way to "stress test" an organization's response plan and serve as a drill to identify gaps in cyber disaster preparedness.^[3]

See also

• Hackathon - computer programming marathon
• DEF CON - largest hacker convention
• Software Freedom Day - Linux and Open Source event
• Campus Party - massive LAN Party
• Cyberwarfare preparedness
• CTF