Students (and interested faculty),

MITRE invited us and eight other schools (CMU, UMd, UMass, UConn, etc.) to participate in an embedded CTF event. Short version: design a secure firmware distribution system for automotive control, then try to break into everyone else's implementation (as they try to break into yours). MITRE has provided a development board with microcontroller (ATMega1284P), programmer, cables, software, and some instructions (details here: http://mitrecyberacademy.org/competitions/embedded/). Teams have no size limit and can include undergraduate and graduate students. The good/bad news is that the timeline for the competition is short: design and implementations due March 1, attack phase ends April 14.

MITRE is clear about why they are doing this: they think that not enough attention gets paid to the security of embedded systems, and they are looking for creative ideas and talent.

If interested, please send me an email with the subject line: eCTF. There is no obligation of time or effort, just looking for students with interest and/or ability (and at least some time). The effort will be led by students, not faculty (although I'll help coordinate space, equipment, etc.). Given the short timeline, we'll meet next week to kick-off and I'll provide the competition kit to the team.

Thanks.

--Jim
-----------------------------------------
Jim Jones, PhD
Associate Professor, ECE/CFRS
Nguyen Engineering Bldg., Room 3241
George Mason University, MS 2B5
Fairfax, VA 22030
(o) 703-993-5599
(c) 703-955-1033
(e) [log in to unmask]
(w) http://ece.gmu.edu/
(w) http://cfrs.gmu.edu/
-----------------------------------------