Ghost Protocol CTF 2.0

Ghost Protocol CTF 2.0 is a national-level cybersecurity competition designed to provide students with hands-on experience in ethical hacking, digital forensics, cryptography, network security, reverse engineering, OSINT, and modern cybersecurity challenges. The event brings together aspiring cybersecurity enthusiasts from colleges and universities across India to test their technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and teamwork in a competitive environment.

The competition follows a two-stage format consisting of an Online Qualification Round and an Offline Grand Finale hosted at Noida Institute of Engineering and Technology (NIET), Greater Noida. Participants will solve real-world-inspired cybersecurity challenges across multiple domains, competing for leaderboard positions, prizes, and national recognition. The offline finale further elevates the experience by combining a Jeopardy-style CTF with an exciting Attack & Defense round, where teams must both secure their own infrastructure and identify vulnerabilities in authorized target systems.

Ghost Protocol CTF 2.0 aims to bridge the gap between theoretical learning and practical cybersecurity skills while fostering innovation, collaboration, and a strong cybersecurity community among students. Whether you are a beginner looking to explore cybersecurity or an experienced competitor seeking a challenge, this event offers an opportunity to learn, compete, and showcase your abilities on a national stage.

Theme: Hack. Secure. Evolve.

Eligibility:

• Open to students pursuing B.Tech, B.E., M.Tech, M.E., BCA, MCA, B.Sc., or M.Sc. from recognized colleges and universities across India.
• Teams size : 1-3 members
• Inter-college teams are allowed
• Inter-specialization/branch teams are allowed.
• All participants must be currently enrolled students and may be required to present a valid college ID during verification.
• Open for all branches.

Domains:

• Web Exploitation,
• Cryptography,
• Forensics,
• OSINT,
• Reverse Engineering,
• Pwn, Steganography,
• Cloud Security,
• AI/LLM Security, and
• Miscellaneous

Competition Format:

Round 1 – Online Qualification Round

• Conducted on the official CTF platform.
• Jeopardy-style Capture The Flag (CTF) competition.
• Qualification window: 72 hours.
• Categories include Web Exploitation, Digital Forensics, Cryptography, OSINT, Reverse Engineering, Pwn, Steganography, Cloud Security, AI/LLM Security, and Miscellaneous challenges.

Round 2 – Offline Grand Finale

• Top-performing teams from the online round will qualify for the offline finale at NIET, Greater Noida.
• Finale duration: 12 hours.
• Jeopardy CTF

Team & Registration Rules:

• No member substitutions are allowed after registration closes.
• Only one registration per team is permitted.
• Duplicate registrations may be merged or disqualified.
• All three members must be present for offline verification.
• Valid college ID is mandatory for all team members during on-site verification.

Online Round Requirements:

• Stable internet connection throughout the qualification window.
• Any modern operating system with an updated web browser.
• Platform access details and VPN instructions (if required) will be shared with registered teams before the event.

What to Bring (Offline Finale):

• Personal laptop with charger.
• Government-issued or college-issued photo ID for each participant.
• Registration confirmation (email or QR ticket) for check-in.

Rules & Code of Conduct:

• Fair play is mandatory.
• Sharing flags, write-ups, solutions, or hints with other teams is strictly prohibited and may result in disqualification.
• Participants may attack only the systems and challenges provided within the official CTF environment.
• Attacks against NIET infrastructure, third-party systems, or any unauthorized targets are strictly prohibited.
• Denial-of-Service (DoS/DDoS) attacks, brute-forcing competition infrastructure, and disruption of other teams are not allowed.
• Participants must maintain professional and respectful conduct throughout the event.
• Any attempt to exploit registration systems, scoring systems, or competition infrastructure may result in immediate disqualification.
• The organizing committee reserves the right to make final decisions regarding scoring, eligibility, and disputes.

Scoring & Qualification:

• Challenges carry different point values based on difficulty.
• Teams are ranked primarily by total score.
• Top-performing teams from the online qualifier will advance to the Offline Grand Finale.