JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas –
World Wide Technology announced April 11 that the 688th Cyberspace Wing, team name AFIN_SOC, won its recent Cyber Range capture the flag competition against reputable global financial institutions, technology companies and academia, receiving one of the highest scores of all time.
Known for its rigorous cybersecurity scenarios, the CTF competition saw teams from across the globe compete to neutralize a simulated ransomware attack.
The competition, named Disarm Me CTF: Hack, Decrypt, Disable, placed participants in a mixed scenario where they were tasked with infiltrating a hostile network harboring stolen data. Teams were tasked with locating and deploying a release code that would retrieve the stolen information and dismantle the ransomware threat.
“Congratulations to the 688th Cyberspace Wing for successfully navigating the complex competition,” said Robin Elias, Area Vice President, United States Air Force, United States Space Force, and Defense Agencies Sales at World Wide Technology. “Their unique victory underscores our nation’s exceptional expertise in ethical hacking techniques, emerging cybersecurity technologies, and ability to think strategically under pressure. WWT is proud to host CTF competitions to help promote cybersecurity excellence – which is exactly what we saw from the 688th CW.”
As ransomware attacks continue to increase in volume and sophistication, competitions like those hosted by WWT’s Cyber Range are critical to keeping those on the front lines trained in emerging technologies and tactics. The 688th Cyberspace Wing’s success in this competition demonstrates the crucial role cybersecurity professionals play in bolstering national security and safeguarding our nation’s most sensitive data.
“We are incredibly proud of our Tigers’ accomplishment,” said Col. Joshua Rockhill, commander, 688th Cyberspace Wing, Sixteenth Air Force. “This competition provided a valuable opportunity to test our skills against some of the brightest minds in cybersecurity and highlighted our commitment as the Air Force’s most trusted Wing by readying our Airmen for various threats across the cyber domain.”
WWT’s Cyber Range helps public sector organizations fortify their cyber defense through rigorous testing and hands-on skills training opportunities. Each month, it offers community CTF competitions designed to help cybersecurity professionals test their skills against the latest cybersecurity technology.
The 688th Cyberspace Wing, headquartered at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, is aligned under Sixteenth Air Force (Air Forces Cyber), Air Combat Command. The wing is the Air Force's premier cyberspace warfighting organization dedicated to delivering actionable intelligence and tactics, techniques, and procedures, deployable warfighter communications, engineering and installation capabilities, defensive cyber operations, and network security operations across the Air Force Information Network enterprise.
Disclaimer of Endorsement: Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the 688th Cyberspace Wing.