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."

Comments

Hackers?

[jaymzter]

and VJs flip live video with network visualization software -- animations like in the movie 'Hackers.'

The movie 'Hackers' had nothing to do with computers or reality for that matter. Please don't feed the trolls.

wow!

[RyLaN]

I can get all my 8th grade l337 friends, and we can go clean up!! what fun, a competition for script kiddies...maybe we could hax0r the dj box..

Re:Isn't this like watching paint dry compared to.

[drinkypoo]

You know, I've noticed that the really good players aren't often as fun to watch any more. I mean, it's still fun to watch them play the slower-paced games like tactical ops (for example) because then when they're being a badass, it's like a movie. People aren't running around (typically) at 150% speed. But when you're playing double-speed instagib low-G CTF it's like everyone is a goddamn super-high-bouncing-ball (aka superball) and everyone is firing at each other like a goddamn neuron... BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM BLAM.

Now, the fun games to watch are the really pretty space combat sims like freespace 2 for example, which is old enough to now play at high resolutions on mediocre machines. I have a tbird 1.4 gig with a gf3ti200, which is way more machine than you need to play THAT... And it looks especially pretty at 1024x768x32bpp which was only barely playable on my old config (GF2MX400, Athlonclassic 700.) They're pretty, they're accessible thanks to years of prime-time sci-fi programming (TELEVISION programming) and they're epic.

Sounds fun but

[Shawn Baumgartner]

I don't imagine that there will be too many available connections left to watch on after the NSA and FBI bogarts most of them to monitor things for themselves. I don't see them missing out on the opportunity to watch a crapload of different approaches to cracking all at the same time from the crackers' perspectives. That'd be like them not bothering to watch an international bank robbing competition.