The Standoff 15 cyber battle will be held from May 21 to 24 as part of the international festival Positive Hack Days, which will take place on the territory of the Luzhniki sports complex in Moscow. As part of the cyber exercises, both sides — attackers and defenders — will include both Russian and foreign teams of cybersecurity specialists. The strongest white hackers will share the total prize fund of 5 million rubles based on the results of the battle.
The number of successful attacks on organizations at the global level continues to increase. This is facilitated by the use of artificial intelligence technologies by attackers, a surge in hacktivism, an increase in the number of attacks on IT specialists and software supply chains. In such conditions, given the widespread shortage of personnel in the information security sector, the importance of cyber exercises for the practical training of cybersecurity specialists increases.
“Last fall, we held Standoff 14 in an online format, which allowed us to gather dozens of teams of white hackers from different countries. The number of people wishing to take part in Standoff is growing, so a qualification round will be held in April to select the best of them. This year, we are also ready for a new step in expanding international participation. Now, foreign teams will be able to participate both online and offline — on the site, playing among the attackers or defenders. Having gained such unique experience in the conditions of intense confrontation and tough competition, specialists will be able to bring even greater benefit to their countries, applying this knowledge and expertise in their daily work to protect organizations and citizens,” said Alexey Novikov, Managing Director of Positive Technologies.
The infrastructure of the virtual state on the Standoff 15 model includes seven industries: metallurgy, energy, oil and gas, banking, urban environment, aviation and logistics. The segments will be presented on physical models with buildings and objects that react to attacks almost like in real life: luggage accumulates on the conveyor belt at the airport, trains collide, the city is left without power, and liquid metal is spilled in the workshop of the plant.
In May, three dozen red teams will gather for the cyber battle. Some of them will be able to take part in cyber exercises based on the results of last year's battles (Standoff 13, Standoff 14) and the results of two seasons of the International Cybersecurity Games (fall 2024 and spring, which will be held in 2025). Other attacking groups will receive tickets to the 15th Standoff battle based on the results of the qualification selection on April 2-6 or will be personally invited by the organizers. Applications for participation in the qualification are accepted from February 12 to March 12. The right to participate in the May cyber battle will be awarded to the 5 strongest teams of the selection round.
All red teams will attack the systems of companies in various industries. For example, they will try to steal data from bank clients or drawings of a design bureau, turn off street lighting or stop oil pumping. For the successful implementation of certain events, teams will receive points depending on the complexity of the tasks.
Blue teams (information security specialists) will be engaged in protecting industries in the investigation (monitoring) or response mode. In the first case, their task is to record the maximum number of incidents and investigate the attacks. In the response mode, teams will be able to additionally prevent and repel attacks. Up to half of the defender groups will receive mentoring support from experienced security specialists.
The number of successful attacks on organizations at the global level continues to increase. This is facilitated by the use of artificial intelligence technologies by attackers, a surge in hacktivism, an increase in the number of attacks on IT specialists and software supply chains. In such conditions, given the widespread shortage of personnel in the information security sector, the importance of cyber exercises for the practical training of cybersecurity specialists increases.
“Last fall, we held Standoff 14 in an online format, which allowed us to gather dozens of teams of white hackers from different countries. The number of people wishing to take part in Standoff is growing, so a qualification round will be held in April to select the best of them. This year, we are also ready for a new step in expanding international participation. Now, foreign teams will be able to participate both online and offline — on the site, playing among the attackers or defenders. Having gained such unique experience in the conditions of intense confrontation and tough competition, specialists will be able to bring even greater benefit to their countries, applying this knowledge and expertise in their daily work to protect organizations and citizens,” said Alexey Novikov, Managing Director of Positive Technologies.
The infrastructure of the virtual state on the Standoff 15 model includes seven industries: metallurgy, energy, oil and gas, banking, urban environment, aviation and logistics. The segments will be presented on physical models with buildings and objects that react to attacks almost like in real life: luggage accumulates on the conveyor belt at the airport, trains collide, the city is left without power, and liquid metal is spilled in the workshop of the plant.
In May, three dozen red teams will gather for the cyber battle. Some of them will be able to take part in cyber exercises based on the results of last year's battles (Standoff 13, Standoff 14) and the results of two seasons of the International Cybersecurity Games (fall 2024 and spring, which will be held in 2025). Other attacking groups will receive tickets to the 15th Standoff battle based on the results of the qualification selection on April 2-6 or will be personally invited by the organizers. Applications for participation in the qualification are accepted from February 12 to March 12. The right to participate in the May cyber battle will be awarded to the 5 strongest teams of the selection round.
All red teams will attack the systems of companies in various industries. For example, they will try to steal data from bank clients or drawings of a design bureau, turn off street lighting or stop oil pumping. For the successful implementation of certain events, teams will receive points depending on the complexity of the tasks.
Blue teams (information security specialists) will be engaged in protecting industries in the investigation (monitoring) or response mode. In the first case, their task is to record the maximum number of incidents and investigate the attacks. In the response mode, teams will be able to additionally prevent and repel attacks. Up to half of the defender groups will receive mentoring support from experienced security specialists.