Designing a Hacker Challenge

by glutton

In the lovable, if technically suspect, (((Hollywood))) flick Hackers, two rival hackers battle it out to see who is more "elite."

Needless to say, most hackers I know found the scene incredibly entertaining but not terribly applicable to day-to-day geekery.

Still, everyone likes a challenge.  Not for "leetness" - because no one cares.  Rather, for the challenge and stimulation of a contest.  The core idea is this: a group of hackers undertakes a series of tasks, earning points for every success.  The hacker with the most points at the end of the year is the champion.

Like the guy says in The Big Lebowski, this isn't Nam, there are rules.  Without rules, the whole shebang turns into a huge griping session full of backstabbing and whining.  And that ain't fun for anyone but lawyers.

Ground Rules

• Agree on timelines, objectives, and measures before the contest begins.
• Be safe.
• Any laws you break should not be for personal benefit.  Stealing is tacky.  So is hurting other people.
• If you have anyone relying on you for their livelihood (like a spouse or child), do not break any laws at all.
• The contest is about what you accomplish during the challenge, not what you have accomplished in the past.  You get no points for having "fulfilled" various objectives previously.  For instance, say the task is to desolder a radio for one point.  If you did that last year, you don't get a point for it.
• All disagreements are resolved by popular vote amongst the contestants.
• Document everything you do.
• Spend as little money as you can.
• Don't cheat.

Objectives

No one can tell you what tasks you should use for your challenge.

If your group is introverted, maybe hacktivism would be a worthy choice.  If you're all extra-class hams, then ham radio challenges could be a waste of time.  The most important consideration is that everyone have fun and is pushed to go the extra mile.

I would suggest avoiding dumbass and stereotypical categories like defacements and intrusions, but it's up to you.  Here is what I came up with:

Electronics:

• Build a working piece of electronics from a kit or schematic.  (2 points)
• Research and build a working Beige Box.  (3 points)
• Research and build a working cell phone jammer.  (5 points)

Amateur Radio:

• Use a scanner to listen to radio frequencies in your area.  (1 point)
• Get your Technician's Class license.  (2 points)
• Pass the General Class exam.  (3 points)
• Pass the Extra Class exam.  (4 points)

Literature:

• Download and read The Hacker Crackdown.  (1 point)
• Read the entire run of Phrack.  (1 point)
• Read books on or by famous hackers.  (1 point per book, 4 points max)
• Submit an article to a hacker 'zine.  (2 points, 4 points if it's published)

Urban Exploration:

• Dumpster dive.  (1 point per instance, 3 points max)
• Infiltrate a condemned building.  (4 points)

Access:

• Wardrive/walk and find unprotected access points.  (1 point for every 4)
• Hack a password-protected IEEE 802.11b connection.  (4 points)

Hacker Culture:

• Wear obvious hacker t-shirts in circumstances (work, family gatherings, bar mitzvahs) that would raise eyebrows.  (1 point per day, 3 points max)
• Listen to five hacker podcasts, radio shows, or convention audio tracks.  (1 point)
• Lecture a civilian on what it means to be a hacker.  (1 point per person, 3 points max)
• Attend a hacker gathering like a 2600 meeting.  (71 point)
• Attend a hacker convention.  (2 points)

Programming:

• Sign up as a developer in an open-source project and make at least three intelligent posts in the developers' forum.  (1 point)
• Explore a new programming language.  (2 points)
• Create a useful and usable program in the language of your choice.  (4 points)

Privacy:

• Create an autobiographical web page filled with completely false information.  (1) point)
• Use a magstripe reader to investigate all the cards in your wallet.  (2 points)

Movies:

• Watch hacker-related (((Hollywood))) movies.  (1 point each, 3 points max)
• Watch a hacker-made movie like Freedom Downtime.  (2 points each, 4 points max)
• Videotape, score, and edit your own hacker story and publish it on the web. (5 points)

Hardware:

• De-Microsoft your computer.  (1 point)
• Successfully set up your primary computer to dual boot two different operating systems. (1 point)
• Upgrade a difficult component in your primary computer.  For instance, overclock your processor.  (3 points)
• Completely disassemble your primary computer and reassemble it in working condition.  (4 points)

Phreaking:

• Find five payphones.  (1 pt)
• Use your Beige Box from the Electronics challenge to successfully listen in on a conversion, unbeknownst to the participants.  (3 points)

Tiebreaker

If two or more contestants are tied or nearly tied at the end of the contest, have a tiebreaker challenge.

Have them design their dream hacker space, and the contestant with the coolest design wins it all.