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Computer Attack and Defense As Spectator Sport

zanbar writes "There was a Slashdot story in March about the Alamo Drafthouse in Austin -- using WiFi in a theater. On Jan 11th, an event at the Alamo will combine video with wireless. LinuxTopGun.org gives details about a series of computer network attack competitions going on tour through North America. They bring in a Linux/Apache web server, a bunch of teams bring in their laptops and attack it over a wireless network. Teams take turns onstage defending the server and then answering audience Q&A about their strategies. MCs interview competitors and explain network attacks to the audience. DJs mix and VJs flip live video with network visualization software -- animations like in the movie 'Hackers.' Judges award points for how well competitors perform, both online and onstage, and the top teams win prizes... It's like watching computer attacks as a live sport. There is also some discussion taking place in #ltg on efnet."

21 of 142 comments (clear)

  1. Will I be able to pick up chicks at this event? by ostiguy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Magic 8 ball points to very doubtful.

    ostiguy

  2. Jesus Christ Ma, get off my back by kfg · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not a crook or a terrorist for God's sake. I'm in *training.* Coke is talking contract and they're considering me for a color commentator position with "Monday Night Crack."

    Oh stop crying Ma. That does *not* mean I'm a junkie.

    Jesus I've gotta move out of the basement and find my own place.

    KFG

    1. Re:Jesus Christ Ma, get off my back by Mac+Degger · · Score: 3, Funny

      God, that reminds me...me and my brother were in the backseat of the car, beaming programs between my IIIc and his new Treo (the bastard!). Eventually we're up to the hacks (he didn't have the magictext hack!) and my mom turns to dad and says "Cripes! We've got criminals for sons! They're hacking back there!" :)

      Try explaining /that/ to someone who's barely comfortable with windows :)

      --
      -- Waht? Tehr's a preveiw buottn?
  3. spectator sport? by deft · · Score: 4, Funny

    if they have trouble with video game tournaments getting mega-popular, i cant imagine how hard it will be to promote the local ghost white chubby kid typing away at a command prompt.

    "wow, he typed a string of commands... the crowd hushes"

    --

    There's nothing Intelligent about Intelligent Design.
  4. In line with the Hackers theme... by Chicane-UK · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why not put phone booths up where the guys who are doing the hacking will go, and kit them out with bizarre headsets (with no apparent function) and laptops that have been doused in spray paint.

    Hack the planet!

    And yes, I am kidding :)

    --
    "Hey! Unless this is a nude love-in, get the hell off my property!!"
  5. Gold Medal in.. uh.. hacking? by treegnome · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's like watching computer attacks as a live sport.

    As the geeks slowly take over the earth, and the collective physical fitness of the human race goes down.. we'll be seeing this at the Olympics one day.

    Awesome.

  6. Isn't this like watching paint dry compared to... by saskboy · · Score: 3, Funny

    Isn't this like watching paint dry compared to... UNREAL touraments?

    Why would I watch hackers hack, when I can see graphics of blood and gore in a game of tag that even an ape can enjoy and understand?

    I mean, I'm a geek, but this just seems a little too bizzare for all but the uber-geeks of the world.

    --
    Saskboy's blog is good. 9 out of 10 dentists agree.
  7. Ping? Ow! by LinkDJm · · Score: 5, Funny

    I want to see a DDoS illustration using people and ping pong balls. Now that's edutainment!

    1. Re:Ping? Ow! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      It's only educational if the ping pong balls at Bill Gates, or hand grenades at Hillary Rosen. Maybe it'll become a Fox special. :)

  8. Re:In Soviet RUSSiA by Penguuu · · Score: 1, Funny

    There should be some "Old Joke"-moderation entry for these :)

    --
    The problem in the world today is communication. Too much communication - Homer Simpson
  9. Like NASCAR by snitty · · Score: 3, Funny

    This is the kind of thing you only watch hoping someone gets hurt. Whether it be the server or a sudden case or carpal tunnel.

    --
    Modular Redundancy--Because 4 out of 5 Nodes agree
  10. Back in the day ... by HealYourChurchWebSit · · Score: 5, Funny

    Laptops used attack over a wireless network? Teams take turns onstage defending the server?

    Bah, Feh!

    Whatever happened to the good-old-days of experimental theatre when the audience was encouraged to take off _their_ clothes and join the fun onstage?!

    --
    --- have you healed your church website?
  11. Color commentary... by BSOD+from+above · · Score: 4, Funny

    -Well Norman, looks like team 1337 is going for the Port 24567 vulnerability.

    -Yes Edmond, but I think that h4x0r's defenders probably have that patch on disk.

    ...on and on...

    -(9 hours later)Oh, 1337's coders were just using that as a distraction while they sniffed other open ports.

    -Well Ed, looks like team 1337 has really got a 'handle' on the buffer overflow.

    -Thanks, Norm, looks like this could be the end for h4x0r. We'll be back with highlights after the break.

    hazardfactory.org

    --
    Karma: Censored (mostly affected by decency laws)
  12. Target Rich Environment by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Rather than setting up a specific new target, just select a spammer, or a website that a spammer is advertising and take it off line for good. Find the spammer and melt it down.

  13. Sport? by j_kenpo · · Score: 3, Funny

    Now this might be a sport worth watching if they were hacking the server while being chased by FEDS with clubs and tasers, that would add some sport element to it.

  14. Re:Hackers? by Zeebs · · Score: 3, Funny

    Crp, ou man if t's not ood if i sray aint my laptp kybard?

    --

    Happy Noodle Boy says "F###ing doughnut! Mock me? You fried cyclops!!"
  15. Why a linux machine with apache? by sawilson · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's a proven fact that more people hack Windows
    than Linux. I think they'd open the competition up
    to more people if they use the number one operating
    system for the target. There is an enormous pool of
    MCSE's nationwide they could draw upon to defend the
    windows server. I personally think that would be a
    lot more fun to watch. *cough* *cough* :)

    1. Re:Why a linux machine with apache? by incongruent · · Score: 2, Funny

      yeah, i can see it now......
      "and here they go, as they race to get each patch downloaded and reboot the server, over and over again before their preparation time is up and the server goes LIVE"
      "oh! it's a blue screen of death!"
      "and now, to bring out the secret weapon..... THE NIMDA VIRUS!! can the defending team download the patch in time???"
      -seriously lame
      ianawu (i am not a windows user)

  16. The Iron h4x0r by Eberlin · · Score: 4, Funny

    Today's secret ingredient is...a Tux webserver!!!

    Fuki San! (yes, go ahead!) The challenger is now going into the KDE menu and invoking nmapfe!

    (one of the guest judges:) Hahaha, he'll soon find out that the people running the server took notes from a different competition and firewalled everything but port 80 on the server.

    Fuki San! (yes!) The Iron h4x0r Linux commented on the challenger's methods by saying true l337 people run nmap from the command line. The Iron h4x0r has also already discovered that only port 80 is open and is now launching a brute-force attack on any default CGI scripts the secret server may have installed.

    Ah yes. They could call it the I 0w|\| j00 Stadium and have Iron Cracker for Linux, BSD, Solaris, and I guess Iron Cracker Windows would be like "Iron Chef TV Dinner" or something.

  17. Re:naked geeks? Eeeewwww! by anticypher · · Score: 4, Funny

    Would you really want a bunch of pasty white geeks getting their kit off on stage, and "joining in" on the action?

    It would certainly violate most cities decency laws, as well as pushing the bounds of bad taste in ways only John Waters could almost tolerate.

    the AC
    I'm going to relapse into a quivering useless mass until I purge those thoughts from my poor brain

    --
    Hemos is like...sci-fi fans;he thinks technology is cool, but he hasn't bothered to understand the science it's based on
  18. Hacking Olympics ... the Tri-Athlon? by duck_prime · · Score: 3, Funny
    .. we'll be seeing this at the Olympics one day.
    COMMENTATOR 1: Okay, it looks like Scott is making his move. He's reaching into the mini-fridge. Let's see what he has in his arsenal. It's probably a Jolt... It's... It's...

    COMMENTATOR 2: Oh my God! He pulled out a Mountain Dew! Folks, jaws are dropping.

    COMMENTATOR 1: But don't count out Jimmy yet from the Canadian team... he's ... he's ... Yes! he's pulled out the Perl manual. Ooh ... looks like it's only Perl 5. I don't know what he's thinking.

    COMMENTATOR 2: Sacrificing features for stability. That's a rare move in this sport...