A collection of resources to help you get started with CTFs.
Written by Dr Irene Anthi. Last updated Oct 2022.
If you have never done a CTF before you need to learn and understand the logic and the methods of how to approach the different challenges. One of the best ways to do this, and to get you started is by studying “walkthroughs” of previous CTF challenges. More specifically, what I advise you to do is a) choose one of the beginner-friendly CTF platforms I have linked below, b) search for walkthroughs in blog style on Google or in video format on Youtube (check out the Cybersecurity Resources document I have provided you for an extensive list) and keep notes! You can do this by using the following keywords:
#CTFname# + walkthrough
When I study myself, I often check out a couple of different walkthroughs (usually also in different formats) because people approach challenges in different ways! As such you will be exposed to a broader range of methodologies and you can choose which one fits your logic and mindset.
If you study a couple of CTFs in this way, you will begin to feel more comfortable with the challenges and you will also have a starting point when you are given a new challenge. That is because you will already have an idea of a couple of things that you could try to solve it! Therefore, from this point onwards, try to give yourself some time to solve the challenges by yourself before looking up the solution. This will also allow you to research lots of different things in the meantime, which means that by the end you will have gained even more knowledge!
WARNING: It does take time and patience, so do not feel discouraged if you can't do the challenges straight away.