Cybersecurity, Yoga, and the Thrill of the Hunt: My Journey Into the World of CTFs

If you had asked me a year ago what a CTF was, I could tell you it stands for ‘Capture the Flag’ and is a hacking competition. What I didn’t know a year ago was that there is not one flag, but many, and there is not one style of hack, but many.

I’d been intrigued by CTFs for some time but was intimidated by where to start. Luckily, at the beginning of 2024, I joined a professional network of women in security, and through it, was invited to join a team with a mix of CTF veterans and newbies.

The experience of my first CTF was not unlike when I took up yoga in my early twenties. On the team Discord channel, our team leader would post upcoming CTFs and specify (as much as possible) if they were beginner-friendly. From there, I’d enter via the CTF website using the team password, and that was it – wait for the clock to tick over and the competition to start. It was thrilling, but I quickly realised how diverse a CTF competition is; the array of challenges was quite beautiful and a little overwhelming.

Capture The Flag Competitions enable you to explore the Cybersecurity space, just as a yoga practice allows you to explore your mind and body.

Different CTF challenges translate into real-world Cybersecurity skills and allow for the development of strengths and weaknesses, just as yoga allows the components for optimum human function—balance, strength, flexibility, and mobility—to be honed.

The experience of my first few CTFs reminded me of my first year practicing yoga. I was aware of yoga but didn’t realise there were many styles, and each had its own language and nuance. Each required some different skillsets and even different mindsets. Many poses were standard, and there was substantial crossover. The structures of classes changed according to the style, and the effect it had on one’s body and mind also altered according to the style. The similarities with CTFs were uncanny. Of course, I didn’t realise this until this month when I competed in my third CTF, as part of a wonderfully supportive group of women.

A couple of months ago, I would’ve also struggled to understand the high one feels when competing in a CTF. It’s like a runner’s high, which was a revelation – who knew completing cybersecurity challenges could elicit such a thrill? Now, this could be newbie wins, but based on the responses from my teammates and without knowing their inner emotions, they too feel a similar high. It’s why we’re competing again this weekend as a team and will every weekend, and it’s why, like yoga, I consider CTFs a practice I’ll be maintaining.

Take care out there.

S