The [Last Minute] Capture the Flag [CTF] event is back for another year during Blue Team Con, and for 2026 is sponsored byBlack Hills Information Security. This is a beginner-friendly CTF competition. Originally, this was a very last minute thing. This time, not quite so late, and with much better planning, but “Not [Last Minute] CTF” isn’t as fun. However, we continue to provide a fun game via a unique learning experience. As this is being run at Blue Team Con, all of the puzzles and challenges will be related as best we can to defensive cybersecurity topics. Remember, we want you to learn, we just might not make everything too easy…
However, a big difference that we can impart on this competition compared to other competitions, is that the [Last Minute] CTF wants to see you document your work and provide write-ups for each of the challenges. Half of the available points will come directly from these write-ups. While documentation is not something for everyone, it is a highly desirable skill to have and use in any day-to-day operation and who knows, we may even feature your write-up and tell everyone how awesome you did the thing!
(NEW) Artificial Intelligence and its Role in [Last Minute] CTFGiven its place in modern cybersecurity defense tactics, we want to address the use of AI tools and LLMs during this CTF. AI tools are now a normal part of the cybersecurity ecosystem. Whether it’s scripting help, research assistance, debugging, note summarization, or understanding unfamiliar concepts, these tools can be genuinely useful. It would be unrealistic, and frankly unreasonable, to expect participants not to use them at all. At the same time, these challenges were not designed to be completed by AI. This is a hacking competition, so we recognize the spirit of “anything goes” within reasonable boundaries. We are not going to attempt to ban or police AI usage - that would be both difficult to enforce and inconsistent with the realities of modern security work. Ultimately, the [Last Minute] CTF is intended to be a fun, but educational experience. If you cannot explain how a solution works after receiving help from an AI tool, you've likely missed the learning objective. The value of a CTF lies not only in completing challenges, but in understanding how and why solutions work. Keep this in mind when considering AI usage in your strategy. Whether you have never played a CTF before, or have been completing challenges for years, we want you to play.
More information, as well as competition updates, will be provided directly on the Blue Team Con website and Discord. And no, this is not a flag.
CTF Win Categories We will have numerous categories that one can win in our [Last Minute] CTF. Some examples are:
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Kickstarter (First Score)
Down to the Wire (Last Score)
Best Write-Up
CTF Prizes Coveted Blue Badge (Offers free admission to Blue Team Con indefinitely), Books, and more to be announced!
CTF Hours The competition homepage will go live for player signups (and to allow people early access to complete the introduction) when registration opens on Friday, September 11th, at 6:00pm CDT. The rest of the challenges and the competition will begin Saturday, September 12th, at 10:30am CDT until Sunday, September 13th, at 1:00pm CDT. Help and Assistance
Join the Blue Team Con Discord and then the #last-minute-ctf channel
Stop by the CTF Room during Admin Availability Hours* for Assistance
Saturday, September 12th: 10:30am to 5:00pm
Sunday, September 13th: 10:00am to 1:00pm
*These hours are subject to change.
This is not a flag.
Register here: https://btcon.link/CTF
Saturday September 12, 2026 10:30am - 11:59pm CDT Swissôtel Chicago323 E Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL 60601, USA
