Capture the flag (CTF) apparently isn’t just a game for recess.

VicOne, an automotive cybersecurity solutions provider, and Block Harbor, an automotive cybersecurity engineering company, are spearheading the Automotive Capture the Flag 2024 competition. This year’s global CTF challenge, with more than $100,000 in prizes, is set to engage and educate cybersecurity enthusiasts of all skill levels, from newcomers with no experience to security practitioners from the automotive sector and other industries.

Virtual qualifying rounds ran through Sunday, with in-person finals on deck for Oct. 21. The awards ceremony is taking place on Oct. 23 at the 2024 Auto-ISAC Cybersecurity Summit in Detroit where VicOne has established its U.S. operations.

The companies said the 2024 Automotive CTF allows cybersecurity researchers without a prior automotive background to learn automotive context through the online learning module and practice on previous years’ CTF challenges.

VicOne and Block Harbor said all participants can expand their skills in automotive cybersecurity, despite their level of experience.

According to the 2023 Cybersecurity Workforce Study from ISc2 — a nonprofit member organization for cybersecurity professionals — companies are focusing on strategies for tackling the cybersecurity staff and skills shortages they face, as the workforce and demand for cybersecurity expertise continues to grow.

ISc2 estimated the size of the global cybersecurity workforce at 5.5 million — a 9% increase from 2022, and the highest ever recorded.

Conversely, the global workforce gap continues to grow even faster: The gap grew by 13% from 2022, which means that in 2023 there are roughly 4 million cybersecurity professionals needed worldwide, according to the study.

VicOne and Block Harbor said the Automotive CTF competition helps address the skills gap shortage in the automotive sector by gathering cybersecurity professionals of all levels, novices and experts alike, to upskill and broaden their expertise.

Participants in this competition will not only solve challenges to “capture the flag” but also gain practical hands-on experience in real-world attack scenarios. This will also be an opportunity for them to join a growing automotive cybersecurity community focused on fortifying the future of connected cars.

“We are fostering strategic collaboration between the cybersecurity community and the automotive sector, and prompting vital synergies that benefit the connected vehicle industry,” VicOne CEO Max Cheng said in a news release.

“This competition provides an arena for cybersecurity professionals and industry leaders to exchange ideas and develop innovative problem-solving strategies, and enables beginners to upskill their expertise and break into the exciting field of automotive cybersecurity,” Cheng continued.

Block Harbor is designing, conducting, and executing the competition through its Vehicle Security Engineering Cloud (VSEC) platform

“The competition is a unique CTF experience creating a stage for exceptional players to showcase their ability alongside newcomers that can learn without the typical barriers of entry,” Block Harbor CEO Brandon Barry said in the news release.

“Together, Block Harbor and VicOne are creating a compelling, innovative and automotive-centric competition that tackles one of the largest pain points felt in every automaker and supplier, which is training and staff shortages due to the small number of practitioners in vehicle cybersecurity,” Barry went on to say.