Official Rules & Participation Terms for the Best Security Cyber Defense Encounter
Participation is open to cybersecurity professionals only. Each participant must be at least 18 years old and demonstrate verified experience in SOC operations, threat hunting, or incident response. Teams must consist of 3 to 4 members. International participants are welcome.
All participants must provide proof of experience, including a LinkedIn profile, professional reference, or employment verification. The organizing committee reserves the right to disqualify teams or individuals who fail to meet these requirements.
Participants must adhere to a strict code of conduct. External help, use of unauthorized tools, and disruptive behavior are grounds for disqualification. Respectful interaction is mandatory throughout the event.
The challenge environment includes pre-configured labs with Splunk, Elastic, and QRadar. Modifications outside of task scope are prohibited. Participants must follow technical setup instructions closely to avoid disconnection or environment misuse.
All scenarios are fictional but inspired by real-world APT operations, primarily those associated with Russian and Chinese threat actors. Participants must not share or distribute any part of the challenge content beyond their team.
Teams will be evaluated on four core criteria: accuracy of threat detection, speed of response, quality of documentation, and ability to identify APT group tactics. A panel of five cybersecurity experts will conduct scoring, which is final and non-negotiable.
Top-performing teams will receive digital trophies, badges, and media recognition. The highest-scoring team may be invited to co-author a technical article on their approach. Prizes are symbolic and non-transferable.
All challenge materials remain the property of Iron-Sec LLC. By participating, teams agree that their submissions may be used in summaries, research, or marketing with appropriate credit. No proprietary tools or confidential methods should be disclosed in team submissions.
Iron-Sec LLC is not liable for any technical interruptions, equipment failure, or disconnection that may occur during the event. The event may be rescheduled or modified at the discretion of the organizers.
By registering, participants confirm that they have read, understood, and accepted these terms. Breach of any rule may result in removal from the event and forfeiture of any awards.