The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory's "Pink Elephant Unicorn" event in Richland, held July 13-14, attracted dozens of people eager to test their cybersecurity skills in a Capture the Flag, CTF, competition.
The event was open to anyone interested in learning about cybersecurity, regardless of skill level. In addition to the CTF competition, there also were cybersecurity presentations that participants could attend.
"This was a tremendous opportunity for entry-level cybersecurity professionals to take part in a Capture the Flag event. It's great that PNNL holds these events twice a year. We are honored to help out, and participate," said Matt Stevens, a senior security architect for the Washington State Office of CyberSecurity.
Stevens and IT Security Architect Rob Knight, both from OCS, attended the event. OCS Interns Kyle Pak and Chase Warren, from Western Washington University, participated in the CTF competition.
OCS staff partnered with PNNL by helping craft some of the puzzles and other educational materials for the competition. Staff also provided cybersecurity presentations.
Students and other members of the community at the event solved cyber puzzles and learned what makes a computer security system vulnerable and how attackers can infiltrate even the most complex networks, as well as how to defend those systems. Newcomers gained first-hand experience in the CTF competition.
There were also plenty of expert-level activities for the seasoned professionals. During the event, participants attended tutorials and received guidance from industry experts to advance their cyber security skills.
PNNL created "Pink Elephant Unicorn"-a unique cybersecurity CTF competition-to focus on novice users and encourage interest in cybersecurity careers. The competition allows them to learn concepts and techniques with subject matter experts in a fun environment.
Held twice a year, once in Tri-Cities and once in Seattle, the event is open to students and professionals interested in careers in cyber security, businesses who want to teach employees useful security practices and skilled cyber security professionals looking to practice their skills and meet other professionals.