In Texas, the digital front lines are real. From the 2024 cyberattack on water systems in Muleshoe and Hale Center that caused physical infrastructure overflows, to the $8.5 million ransomware recovery cost faced by the City of Dallas, the need for skilled cyber professionals has never been more urgent.
As a proud Texas nonprofit, TxSTEMed is committed to bridging this gap. We are providing a free, professional-grade sandbox for K-12 students and industry learners to practice ethical hacking and defense.
Here is your step-by-step guide to entering the cyber battlefield.
Step 1: Request Your Registration Code
To maintain a secure and educational environment, our Capture The Flag (CTF) system is invite-only.
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Action: Send an email to [email protected].
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Cost: Completely FREE of charge for students, educators, and partners.
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What you get: We will reply with a unique registration code that allows you to create your account.
Step 2: Register on the CTF Portal
Once you have your code, head over to our main hub:
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Use your registration code to create your profile. This portal will be your scoreboard and the place where you submit “flags” found during your challenges.
Step 3: Build Your Strike Team
Cybersecurity is a team sport. After registering, you can create or join a team.
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Team Limit: A maximum of 4 ethical hackers per team.
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Collaboration: Use your team to delegate tasks—have one person focus on SQL injection while another tackles cross-site scripting (XSS).
Step 4: Enter the Hacking Environment
Once your team is ready, you will “pivot” into our Multi-Juicer server. This is a high-fidelity, intentionally vulnerable environment based on the OWASP Juice Shop.
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The Mission: Complete over 100 unique challenges.
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The Goal: Earn valuable points for your team by discovering vulnerabilities and securing “flags.”
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The Scope: You’ll face everything from broken authentication to sensitive data exposure.
Why Training Matters: The Texas Landscape
We aren’t just playing games; we are building defenders. Consider these recent Texas statistics:
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Critical Infrastructure: In 2024, Russian-affiliated hacktivists targeted small-town Texas water facilities, proving that even rural infrastructure is at risk.
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Education Targets: Over 80% of U.S. school districts experienced a cyber incident recently, with recovery costs for K-12 schools averaging over $2 million.
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The Gap: Texas currently ranks as one of the most targeted states in the nation for ransomware and data breaches.
Important Disclaimer
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Educational Use Only: This system is designed strictly for learning and professional development.
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No Warranty: As a free resource provided by our nonprofit, this system is provided “as-is” without any warranty.
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Privacy: Users should have no expectations of privacy while using the CTF or Multi-Juicer environments; all activity is monitored for educational and safety purposes.
Partner With TxSTEMed
We believe in the power of partnership. If your school district or organization wants to host a dedicated CTF event or integrate this into your curriculum, contact us at [email protected].
Are you ready to defend the Lone Star State? Get your code and start hacking (ethically) today!