A cybersecurity company has launched a lockdown-friendly hacking competition that doesn't require any travel or socializing.
Participants of Cyber 2.0's new Home Hackers Challenge can compete for a cash prize without having to leave their houses.
The competition is open to every hacker in the world, and the premise is simple—the first competitor to break into a computer-simulated organization scoops the glory and 10,000 NIS, equivalent to 2,850 USD.
Protecting the fake organization is the company's own patented cybersecurity solution, the Cyber 2.0 program.
Cyber 2.0's Sneer Rozenfeld has no qualms about laying the reputation of the company and its cybersecurity products on the line. He said previous attempts to break through their protective layer by private hackers, companies, and specialized military units had all failed.
"We did two hacking challenges already—this is our third one. We ran the first one in 2018 in Israel; no-one succeeded. Then in 2019, we ran a second competition in Atlanta, Georgia, with a $100,000 prize, and no-one succeeded. So, we do believe our system will not be hacked."
The competition will take place on April 6 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. (GMT+3). Hackers can enter through the company's website, cyber20.com.
Rozenfeld said: "The prize will go to the first hacker who breaks in with no prize for second place."
In previous years, when no hacker was able to defeat the company's cybersecurity program, Cyber 2.0 kept the prize money. However, this year, if no hacker manages to successfully break into the faux organization, the prize money will be donated to an Israeli charity that supports families in need.
Rozenfeld said: "Everyone is affected by the coronavirus, so we want to be humble and this time not keep the money but give it away."
The ongoing health crisis has meant that Cyber 2.0 can only give hackers a short window in which to complete the challenge.
Rozenfeld said: "Holding this sort of challenge takes a lot of resources of the company so we decided to do it for 4 hours. Due to coronavirus regulations in Israel, we can't have more than 2 people on the premises, and we need more than 2 for supporting the challenge."