Frequently Asked Questions
Questions
- How do I join Layer Zero?
- Does it cost anything to join?
- When are meetings and events held?
- What is National Cyber League (NCL) and capture the flag (CTF)?
- Why should I play in a CTF competition?
- How do I register for NCL's CTF?
- How do I talk to other members in Layer Zero?
- What undergraduate classes related to Cybersecurity are offered at UNLV?
How do I join Layer Zero?
Please request membership at the UNLV Inolvement Center website. You may have to log into your ACE account. Once requested, it should be approved within 1-2 days. That's it!
Does it cost anything to join?
No, nada.
When are meetings and events held?
We won't have in person meetings this semester due to COVID-19. Please see our calendar page for upcoming virtual events.
What is National Cyber League (NCL) and capture the flag (CTF)?
NCL is a organization that hosts a national CTF competition bi-annually. NCL is not the only organization that hosts CTFs, but theirs is the one we focus on. CTF is a game where participants perform challenges and search for a digital flag in order to earn points. Challenges cover topics related to offensive and defensive security. Topics include: open source intelligence, cyrptography, password cracking, log analysis, network tracfic analysis forensics, web app explotations and enumerations.
Why should I play in a CTF competition?
Playing in a CTF competition is a great way to learn more about Cybersecurity. It's hands on, and it's fun! Plus, you can talk about it during a job inverview :) NCL seperates participants by experience. So if you're new, you'll be playing against other new players as well. They also provide a well designed virtual gym to learn different tools and skills. It's great place to start learning; however, only open to those who register. If you're looking for practice questions outside the gym, we like pointing beginners to picoCTF. For more challenging problems, similar to what you'd find on NCL's competition, you can try CTFLearn.
How do I register for NCL's CTF?
See our calendar when registration opens. We will provide a link, or you can visit NCL's site directly here. It's $35 to play, but includes all seasons and full access to the gym. To us, the cost is worth it. If you register please email us at layer_zero@unlv.edu, and let us know you registered. We can help place you on a team when Team Season rolls around.
How do I talk to other members in Layer Zero?
Join our discord! We are a friendly community. We have members who are veterans in CTF and members who have gone off to work in the Cybersecurity industry. Our discord is a good place to network and ask questions.
What undergraduate classes related to Cybersecurity are offered at UNLV?