What InfoSec Professionals Can Gain From TraceLabs CTF
Trace Labs is designed to be a catalyst for improving the state of missing persons location and family reunification.
WHO IS TRACELABS?
Trace Labs is a non-profit organization that uses open-source intelligence (OSINT) to locate missing persons and reunite families. Trace Labs operates on a crowdsourcing model, with volunteers from all over the world working together to locate missing persons. The organization offers rewards for successful searches, and all of its data is publicly available. Trace Labs has had success in locating missing persons, and it has been lauded for its innovative use of OSINT. However, some critics have raised concerns about the privacy implications of the organization’s work. Trace Labs is designed to be a catalyst for improving the state of missing persons location and family reunification. The organization is making significant progress towards its goal, but there is still more work to be done.
HOW TO BENEFIT?
SEARCH PARTY CTF
The Trace Labs Search Party CTF is a non theoretical, gamified effort that allows for the crowdsourcing of contestants to perform a single task: Conduct open source intelligence operations to help find missing persons. The CTF is designed to incentivize contestants to use their skills to help find missing people, regardless of their location. Incentives are in the form of prizes, which are awarded to the contestant who provides the most accurate and actionable information. The CTF is open to anyone with the willingness and ability to help, and it provides an invaluable service to both law enforcement and desperate families alike.
The Trace Labs Search Party CTF is a unique opportunity to build emotional intelligence and teamwork while also sharpening one’s critical thinking skills. The CTF format simulates a fast-paced search and rescue operation, requiring participants to work together in order to solve complex problems. In the process, they learn to empathize with the emotional needs of others, communicate effectively, and make quick decisions under pressure. Ultimately, the Search Party CTF provides an invaluable learning experience that can help participants thrive in any type of team setting.
OSINT
The Trace Labs Search Party CTF is a great way for InfoSec professionals to build their OSINT investigative skills. By playing the CTF, InfoSec professionals can hone their OSINT skills and become better equipped to handle real-world investigations. Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) and Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT) are two of the most underutilized tools in the information security world. With the ever-evolving nature of cyber threats, it is imperative to have a team of digital sleuths who are capable of providing actionable intelligence. OSINT is the practice of collecting, analyzing, and making use of information that is publicly available on the Internet. This can include anything from news articles and social media posts to public records and websites. SOCMINT, on the other hand, is the collection and analysis of social media data for intelligence purposes. This can be used to track down perpetrators of cyber attacks, understand the motivations behind an attack, or even predict future attacks. Both OSINT and SOCMINT are vital tools for any organization looking to stay ahead of the curve when it comes to cyber security.
COMMUNICATION
During the TraceLabs Search Party CTF, a miniature form of report writing is done with every piece of evidence that is submitted. This process highlights the source, relevancy, and usefulness of the evidence. It can aid information security professionals in becoming better conveyors of information. The process includes four steps: identifying the source of the evidence, determining the relevancy of the evidence, evaluating the usefulness of the evidence, and writing a report. Source identification is important because it helps to determine the credibility of the evidence. Relevancy is important because it helps to determine whether the evidence is relevant to the case. Usefulness is important because it helps to determine whether the evidence will be useful in solving the case. Writing a report is important because it helps to communicate the findings to others. The four steps of this process can help information security professionals to become better communicators of information.
TEAM RESULTS
The key aspects that I’ve highlighted throughout this blog allowed the team that I am a part of to achieve spectacular results.
