TROY — Syntel, Inc., a leading global provider of integrated information technology and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) services, today announced it will sponsor a web-based capture-the-flag (CTF) style ethical hacking contest at the c0c0n 2012 information security conference.
Conducted by the Information Security Research Association (ISRA), the c0c0n 2012 conference will be held in Trivandrum, India at the Hotel Vivanta on August 3–4, 2012. It brings together students, business leaders and law enforcement officials to discuss the latest cyber security issues and best practices.
The CTF contest will consist of ten levels which will test the technical capabilities of the contestants. The contest, which will be designed and administered by ISRA, will include a variety of challenges, from web attacks and cryptography to log analysis and reverse engineering. The contest will take place during the c0c0n conference and will be accessible online, allowing players outside the conference to participate.
According to Sandeep Godbole, Syntel’s Senior Manager of Information Security, the hacking contest is designed to simulate the dynamism of a real-world security environment.
“The CTF contest is a great opportunity for budding security professionals to test their skills and will help create a more secure information security environment,” said Godbole.
Mr. Godbole will also give a presentation at the conference, entitled “The Weakest Link — Reinforcing the Human Element,” in which he will discuss the significance, benefits and methods of strengthening the human element in an information security regime.
“We are extremely grateful to Syntel for their support and commitment to c0c0n 2012 and International Information Security Day, and we look forward to continuing to work together in the future,” said Manu Zacharia, President of ISRA.