First Place Victory at the Google Cloud Summit CTF!

The recent Google Cloud Summit Taipei 2024, held on June 13th, was a fantastic convergence of innovation, learning, and community. As someone deeply passionate about the intersection of AI, cloud technologies, and cybersecurity, it was an event I eagerly anticipated. Beyond the insightful keynotes and deep-dive sessions, one particular highlight for me was participating in (and winning!) the GCP Security Capture the Flag (CTF) competition.

Thrilled to be at the Google Cloud Summit Taipei 2024!

The Hive Developer Workshop area was buzzing with activity, and the “GCP Security Capture the Flag (CTF)” session immediately caught my eye. The schedule showed it running from 13:30 to 14:45 in room 702C - prime time for some hands-on challenges!

The CTF session was a key part of the developer workshops.

For those unfamiliar, a Capture the Flag competition in cybersecurity is a series of practical challenges designed to test various security skills. Participants “hack” their way through purposefully vulnerable systems or analyze data to find “flags” - specific pieces of information - to score points. The Google Cloud CTF naturally focused on security best practices, vulnerabilities, and tooling within the GCP ecosystem.

The challenges were diverse and engaging, pushing us to think critically and apply our knowledge under pressure. Here’s a peek at the challenge board we were working through:

The CTF challenge board, offering a mix of difficulties and scenarios.

I dove into the challenges, tackling everything from identifying misconfigurations to exploiting common web vulnerabilities, all within a GCP context. It was a great test of skills I’ve been honing through continuous learning and my various certifications.

And the result? I’m incredibly proud and excited to share that I managed to secure first place in the CTF! You can spot my handle, “hotdogee,” at the top of the leaderboard in the screenshot below, taken as the competition wrapped up.

Victory! Proud to see "hotdogee" leading the scoreboard at the end of the GCP Security CTF. — Victory! Proud to see “hotdogee” leading the scoreboard at the end of the GCP Security CTF.

The final standings for all participants.

The victory came with a cool piece of swag - a Google Cloud branded thermos, which will definitely get some good use fueling future projects!

The spoils of victory - my new Google Cloud thermos alongside the CTF scoreboard!

This win isn’t just about a prize; it’s a practical validation of the cybersecurity and cloud skills I’ve been building. It’s always rewarding to see theoretical knowledge and hands-on practice translate into tangible results in a competitive environment. It reinforces my passion for tackling complex technical puzzles and designing secure, robust systems on cutting-edge platforms.

Beyond the CTF, the Summit was packed with valuable insights into the latest advancements in Google Cloud, from Generative AI with Vertex AI and Gemini to advanced data management and, of course, robust security solutions.

The vibrant atmosphere at the Google Cloud Summit Taipei.

And, of course, no tech event is complete without some excellent coffee and delicious, creatively themed snacks to keep the energy up!

... and some impressive Google-colored treats! — … and some impressive Google-colored treats!

Events like the Google Cloud Summit are invaluable for staying at the forefront of technology, networking with peers, and putting skills to the test. I’m already looking forward to applying the sharpened skills and new knowledge gained to future engineering projects and research.