UZH-CTF: Toward a Capture-The-Flag Ecosystem for Cybersecurity Teaching at UZH

Innovative project idea

We propose a Capture-the-Flag (CTF) learning ecosystem that embeds hands-on cybersecurity challenges directly into the curriculum. A CTF is a gamified competition where participants solve security tasks (e.g., exploiting vulnerabilities, analyzing malware, breaking cryptography) to find hidden “flags.” Students engage in realistic attack-and-defense scenarios in a safe virtual environment. The innovation lies in a scalable, reusable platform with adaptive challenges, automated feedback, and student co-creation of content to foster deep experiential learning.

Added value for students and teaching

The UZH-CTF ecosystem adds value by transforming cybersecurity from theory to structured, hands-on practice. Students solve realistic security challenges in a safe environment, strengthening analytical, technical, and teamwork skills while increasing motivation through gamified learning. Adaptive tasks and automated real-time feedback support diverse skill levels. For teaching, the platform enables scalable labs, ease of grading, data-informed course improvement, and sustainable reuse across modules.