DEF CON is the premier annual gathering for the global cybersecurity community and was held in Las Vegas this year. It serves as a hub for knowledge sharing, innovation, and competition where experts and enthusiasts alike test their skills, explore emerging threats, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in cybersecurity.

Chris Brock and I represented Sagitec’s Security Operations and participated in the Blue Team Village Capture the Flag (CTF) competition. We tested our skills against some of the top security talent in the industry and walked away with an achievement worth celebrating.

Out of 229 teams and nearly 400 registered participants, we placed 12th overall in Project Obsidian, an immersive defensive cybersecurity challenge designed to simulate real-world scenarios in Incident Response (IR), Digital Forensics (DF), Malware Analysis, Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), and Cyber Threat Hunting (CTH).

What makes this achievement particularly exciting is that:

• Most teams competed with four members, while we fielded just two.
• This was our first time participating in this event.

Despite those odds, our experience, teamwork, and problem-solving skills enabled us to compete at a high level and demonstrate resilience under pressure.

I’m incredibly proud of how our team performed at DEF CON. Competing against some of the best in the field pushed us to think creatively and apply our skills under pressure. The experience not only showcased our capabilities but also gave us valuable insights we can bring back to strengthen our defenses at Sagitec.

About Project Obsidian

Project Obsidian is designed to sharpen defensive cybersecurity expertise through hands-on scenarios based on real-world threats. Participants gain practical experience in:

• Incident Response: Running investigations, escalating alerts, and managing communication during live security events.
• Digital Forensics: Extracting and analyzing forensic artifacts to uncover evidence of compromise.
• Malware Analysis: Dissecting malicious code to understand behavior and intent.
• Cyber Threat Intelligence: Profiling adversaries and generating actionable intelligence.
• Cyber Threat Hunting: Proactively identifying patterns of malicious activity using SIEM platforms like Splunk, Elastic, and Graylog.

These are the very same skill sets our Security Operations team brings to protecting Sagitec every day.

Why This Matters

Our participation wasn’t just about the competition. It was about strengthening our ability to defend against real-world threats. Events like Project Obsidian allowed us to put our expertise to the test, stay ahead of evolving adversary tactics, and bring back new insights that directly benefit our organization and its partners.

We are proud to represent Sagitec on this global stage and to highlight the caliber of talent within our security team.