Defcon CTF – The pinnacle of cybersecurity competition

The Defcon CTF (Capture The Flag) competition—widely regarded as the most prestigious contest among cybersecurity professionals—concluded on August 14th in Las Vegas. Among the competitors were six Icelanders, including four employees from Syndis, who joined forces under the banner of NorseCode, a Nordic coalition made up of some of the region’s strongest teams.

Reaching the final round of Defcon CTF is a massive achievement in itself, as it takes place alongside the Defcon cybersecurity conference and represents the highest level of competition in the field. This was the first time an Icelandic team reached the finals, where NorseCode finished in 6th place out of over 1,800 participating teams from around the world.

Attack is the best defense

The competition was organized in an “Attack/Defense” format, where teams simultaneously launched offensive attacks on the infrastructure of other teams while also working to defend their own systems. Points were awarded for both successful intrusions and for defending against incoming attacks by patching vulnerabilities and maintaining system integrity.

Syndis talent on the global stage

The Icelandic team, competing under the name “pwnagaukar,” may be young in age but are seasoned veterans in CTF competitions. All six have worked at Syndis, and four are currently part of the company’s team. Each member is also part of Iceland’s national cybersecurity team, which competes in the European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC). In 2022, they placed second in a Nordic inter-country competition.

Elvar Árni Bjarnason, a specialist at Syndis in software assessments, leads the group and has previously won Gagnaglíman and the Icelandic National Cybersecurity Competition multiple times.

Soaring demand for cybersecurity talent

Defcon CTF is the oldest and most respected cybersecurity competition globally. It simulates real-world cyber threats to the digital infrastructure that underpins modern societies. Iceland’s participation and high ranking in the finals is a testament to the country’s rising presence in global cybersecurity—and a bright sign for the future.

Digitalization brings both progress and threats

Capture The Flag (CTF) competitions recreate the wide range of vulnerabilities and attack scenarios facing software and network systems today. As societies become increasingly digital, the threat landscape grows rapidly. These competitions help identify top talent in cybersecurity and play a vital role in ensuring the digital resilience and competitiveness of nations in a fast-evolving world.