Cracking the Code: Hosting a 1,000 AED Prize Pool CTF Event at Murdoch University Dubai
Discover the behind-the-scenes challenges and successes of organizing our university's first-ever Capture The Flag cybersecurity competition. Learn actionable tips on infrastructure, inclusivity, and overcoming unexpected network throttles.
Hi, I’m Wadiqa Baig. I am a third-year student at Murdoch University Dubai, double majoring in Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, and the Leader of our campus AWS Student Builder Group (SBG).
Even though I do not hold a formal background in cybersecurity, I strongly believe in pushing beyond our academic comfort zones to discover what we are truly capable of building. I learn new skills best through hands-on, high-stakes experimentation, and I feel a true sense of belonging when I am in a room full of peers conquering complex technical challenges together.
That shared passion for collaborative learning is exactly what drove our Computing society to host the first-ever Capture The Flag (CTF) Cybersecurity Competition at Murdoch University Dubai on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026. My goal was to ensure this was not just an exclusive event for cybersecurity majors, but an inclusive learning journey for students across all tech disciplines—including CS and AI—to dive in and get their hands dirty.
Here is a behind-the-scenes look at how we pulled off this milestone event, what broke along the way, and what future organizers can learn from our experience.
The Setup & Architecture
Organising a CTF from scratch is a monumental infrastructure challenge. Rather than building a vulnerable environment ourselves, we partnered with Exploit3rs Cyber Security Academy.
Through a connection with Bhargav Raj Dutta, we utilised their official Hacking Dungeon platform. This platform was fully build on AWS Services.
The competition was divided into six specific domains:
- Web Security
- Cryptography
- Forensics
- OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)
- Network Security
- Reverse Engineering
We had an incredible turnout of student builders competing in teams of 2–3 for a 1,000 AED prize pool generously funded by the university. Pavani Luckkana joined us as our event host, keeping the energy high as teams—many of whom were tackling cybersecurity concepts for the very first time—raced against the clock.
What Broke: The Campus Wi-Fi Throttling Trap
About 45 minutes into the competition, we hit a massive roadblock. As teams moved into the Network Security and OSINT challenges, dozens of students simultaneously began running network scans, ping sweeps, and rapid data requests.
Our university's automated network security system immediately detected this unusual traffic spike. Assuming it was a coordinated DDoS attack, the network aggressively throttled our bandwidth. Suddenly, the Hacking Dungeon scoreboard would not load, and teams were getting timed out of their active challenge sessions.
The Lesson: Never assume standard institutional infrastructure is ready for cybersecurity events. You must over-communicate your technical requirements.
Actionable Advice for Future CTF Organisers
If you are planning to host a similar event for your AWS SBG, here are my top three takeaways:
- Pre-Clear Traffic with Campus IT: Send your IT department the exact IP addresses, platforms, and expected traffic behaviors at least two weeks in advance. Get written confirmation that your room's ports and bandwidth will not be throttled during the event window.
- Partner with the Pros: Collaborating with an established group like Exploit3rs elevated the quality of our event immensely. Do not feel pressured to build the challenge infrastructure yourself. Leverage community partnerships so your team can focus on marketing, logistics, and student experience.
- Gamify the Payout: We structured our 1,000 AED prize pool to reward the top three teams (500 AED for 1st, 300 AED for 2nd, and 200 AED for 3rd). Having tangible, tiered rewards created an incredibly competitive—yet collaborative—atmosphere. This also made alot of student fomo too after event.
What's Next?
Our overarching goal is to bridge the gap between theoretical university concepts and real-world industry demands. Seeing our community, especially our non-cyber majors, level up their ethical hacking skills was a massive milestone toward that goal.
We are already shifting our focus to our next major gathering: an AWS Guest Speaker event on June 25th featuring an AI and Cloud Solutions Architect.
Keep building, keep breaking (ethically!), and keep learning.
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