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First of all, kudos to all 12 entrants this year! Our panel had to spend extra time ranking, scrubbing, re-ranking, and discussing the pros and cons of each one. With four potential targets, our contestants came up with multiple attack angles and reasonings behind their choices, making for a variety of interesting scenarios. The goal is to "Make them click" AND to "Make us laugh" — and that is no easy task. Humor, especially, is subjective. But laugh we did, and not just with the winners. We hope you all enjoyed reading through the entries as well. Now, for the winners!
Ruler: birdbird
Last year's Jester showed she is more than a great comic with her approach this year. She found the right balance of technical realism on top of targeted absurdity. The scenario involving inappropriate shows was ridiculous yet relatable, making it highly engaging and humorous. Chippen-Bears, anyone? The technical execution was strong delving into the psychology of potential targets, and the use of sources was well-thought-out. Overall, Birdbird's entry was fun. She "swung freely" for the fences with this one and knocked it out of the park.
Wizard: Texas Deviant
Texas Deviant showcased exceptional technical proficiency and a convincing phishing strategy. The use of a DMCA violation and legal threat was highly effective, making the email incredibly clickable due to its urgent nature. The detailed and thorough approach demonstrated a high level of expertise and creativity, making Texas Deviant the perfect choice for Wizard. The writing was excellent, with edgy and sarcastic humor that wasn't overly dark. Great use of sources both within and outside of the provided materials. Diving in to give us the average income in both Omaha and Long Island as part of his strategy was a great move to kick off the backstory. Bravo indeed!
Jester: Becmania
Becmania excelled in creating a fun and playful scenario with solid reasoning behind her choice of target. The dance-off with a llama was both engaging and humorous and captured our interest. The writing was good, and the use of flattery and light-hearted humor made this entry enjoyable and effective. It showcased a funny-for-all-ages approach which we loved and made her an excellent choice for Jester. I mean, a llama. We loved Larry!
We'll be coordinating with each of the winners via email for badge pickup.
As this is an Olympic year, we decided to give our "medal/badge winners" a proper ceremony:
Highlights of Other Entries (in no particular order)
Mehntal: Solid overall execution with a plausible digital competition scenario. Loved the reasoning for all caps on Jean Cho's email address and the connection with "Strong Island Proud" on the sign-off added a nice touch of realism.
LonerVamp: LonerVamp's prep and "after-the-click" deep dive was wonderful on the technology side of the attack. The backstory is a must-read.
Diego Donovan: A simple one-line phish can sometimes be the most effective, and he reminded us of that.
rrunner: Last year's winner had another strong entry. The witty humor was back, and we enjoyed the P4R7YP00P3RZ, which had a Mr. Robot/Hackers feel to it.
Emery Frink: The boxing match idea was clever and on-point, fitting with the theme quite well.
BigSchwillyChickenDillys: Emma Bezzler was a great name for the agent. Emma vs. the Omaha version of The Sopranos was very creative. A strong entry.
Ian: Straightforward and plausible phishing scenario involving a government vaccination program. Warns us all to be vigilant of government emails!
R0LLSum=1: Humorous storytelling involving a pinball machine repair combined with technical phishing tactics.
Paint: Loved the addition of a contest for Nebraska football tickets, which showed a solid grasp of the source material.
Thanks again to all participants! Your efforts made this a fun and engaging event, and we appreciate the time and thought put into each submission. We are already working on a new scenario for next year and invite you all to play again!
Ruler: birdbird
Last year's Jester showed she is more than a great comic with her approach this year. She found the right balance of technical realism on top of targeted absurdity. The scenario involving inappropriate shows was ridiculous yet relatable, making it highly engaging and humorous. Chippen-Bears, anyone? The technical execution was strong delving into the psychology of potential targets, and the use of sources was well-thought-out. Overall, Birdbird's entry was fun. She "swung freely" for the fences with this one and knocked it out of the park.
Wizard: Texas Deviant
Texas Deviant showcased exceptional technical proficiency and a convincing phishing strategy. The use of a DMCA violation and legal threat was highly effective, making the email incredibly clickable due to its urgent nature. The detailed and thorough approach demonstrated a high level of expertise and creativity, making Texas Deviant the perfect choice for Wizard. The writing was excellent, with edgy and sarcastic humor that wasn't overly dark. Great use of sources both within and outside of the provided materials. Diving in to give us the average income in both Omaha and Long Island as part of his strategy was a great move to kick off the backstory. Bravo indeed!
Jester: Becmania
Becmania excelled in creating a fun and playful scenario with solid reasoning behind her choice of target. The dance-off with a llama was both engaging and humorous and captured our interest. The writing was good, and the use of flattery and light-hearted humor made this entry enjoyable and effective. It showcased a funny-for-all-ages approach which we loved and made her an excellent choice for Jester. I mean, a llama. We loved Larry!
We'll be coordinating with each of the winners via email for badge pickup.
As this is an Olympic year, we decided to give our "medal/badge winners" a proper ceremony:
Highlights of Other Entries (in no particular order)
Mehntal: Solid overall execution with a plausible digital competition scenario. Loved the reasoning for all caps on Jean Cho's email address and the connection with "Strong Island Proud" on the sign-off added a nice touch of realism.
LonerVamp: LonerVamp's prep and "after-the-click" deep dive was wonderful on the technology side of the attack. The backstory is a must-read.
Diego Donovan: A simple one-line phish can sometimes be the most effective, and he reminded us of that.
rrunner: Last year's winner had another strong entry. The witty humor was back, and we enjoyed the P4R7YP00P3RZ, which had a Mr. Robot/Hackers feel to it.
Emery Frink: The boxing match idea was clever and on-point, fitting with the theme quite well.
BigSchwillyChickenDillys: Emma Bezzler was a great name for the agent. Emma vs. the Omaha version of The Sopranos was very creative. A strong entry.
Ian: Straightforward and plausible phishing scenario involving a government vaccination program. Warns us all to be vigilant of government emails!
R0LLSum=1: Humorous storytelling involving a pinball machine repair combined with technical phishing tactics.
Paint: Loved the addition of a contest for Nebraska football tickets, which showed a solid grasp of the source material.
Thanks again to all participants! Your efforts made this a fun and engaging event, and we appreciate the time and thought put into each submission. We are already working on a new scenario for next year and invite you all to play again!
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