CICS Capture The Flag is a full-stack web-based cybersecurity competition platform built using the MERN stack. It is designed for organizational and academic use, enabling institutions to host secure, real-time CTF competitions with automated scoring and challenge management.
The platform replaces manual or fragmented competition workflows with a centralized, real-time, and scalable system for running Capture The Flag events.
CICS Capture The Flag provides a complete environment for hosting cybersecurity competitions. Participants can register, solve challenges, and submit flags in real time, while administrators manage challenges, users, and leaderboards through a dedicated dashboard.
Live score updates are powered by Socket.IO, ensuring that rankings reflect submissions instantly. The system emphasizes security, fairness, and usability for both players and administrators.
- Secure user authentication and authorization
- Participant registration and login system
- Flag submission and validation mechanism
- Automatic score calculation and ranking
- Live scoreboard updates using Socket.IO
- Real-time rankings and score changes
- Instant feedback on flag submissions
- Admin dashboard for challenge management
- Create, update, and delete CTF challenges
- User and leaderboard management
- Competition monitoring and control
- Centralized CTF competition management
- Real-time visibility of scores and rankings
- Reduced manual intervention during events
- Scalable architecture for multiple users
- Improved participant experience
- Frontend: React.js, Tailwind CSS
- Backend: Node.js, Express.js
- Database: MongoDB
- Real-Time Communication: Socket.IO
- Authentication: JWT-based authentication