Capture the Flag

All students are strongly encouraged to participate in the workshop’s Aerospace Cybersecurity Capture-The-Flag (CTF) Competition, which will take place on April 9, 2026, as part of the official workshop agenda.

Who Can Participate

• Compete in teams of 3 students. No team yet? No problem—we’ll place you on one.
• Teams may be from the same institution or be multi-institutional
• Participation is in person only
• Bring your own laptop (required)

Cash prizes are planned for:

• The top three scoring teams from external institutions—with the top team winning up to $2,100.
• The top scoring ERAU team (includes teams from Daytona Beach, Prescott, and Worldwide campuses).

How to Participate

To compete in the CTF, your first step is to register via the workshop registration system. Additional technical details and logistics will be shared with registered participants prior to the event.

CTF Scenario

The Aerospace Cybersecurity CTF places participants in the role of cyber defenders responding to a coordinated cyberattack on a fictitious major airport, Terminus.

Terminus is experiencing widespread disruptions across its aviation and airport ecosystem—and urgently needs help. As defenders, participants will work hands-on to investigate, contain, and recover from cyber and cyber-physical attacks, restoring safe and secure operations across multiple systems.

What Makes This CTF Unique

This CTF is designed to be accessible and educational, while still offering depth for experienced participants. Students may choose which challenges to attempt and progress at their own pace.

The competition is suitable for:

• Students new to cybersecurity or aviation
• Students with prior experience seeking applied, real-world scenarios
• Multidisciplinary teams interested in cyber-physical systems

Example Challenge Areas

Challenges span both virtual and physical systems and may include:

• Airline kiosks, boarding passes, and passenger data systems
• Baggage tagging and baggage handling systems
• Security screening and airport trams
• Avionics networks and aircraft engine control systems
• Flight and air traffic control (ATC) simulators
• Drones, RC aircraft, and uncrewed systems
• In-flight entertainment (IFE), IoT, and AI-enabled system

Some challenges involve hands-on physical interaction, while others are software-based simulations. All challenges reflect realistic aviation and aerospace cyber-physical environments.

Some industry and government professionals participating in the workshop will be available during the CTF as mentors, providing guidance, operational context, and career insight while preserving the integrity of the competition.