Welcome. This repo is the single source of truth for UIC LUG's competitive security program — covering CyberForce (Fall) and CCDC (Spring). Whether you're competing, running events, or taking over next year — start here.
This curriculum covers CyberForce (primary) and preparation for CCDC (coming soon).
- What is CyberForce? — overview & competition structure
- Competition Timeline — full Fall/Spring calendar
- Official CyberForce 101 Library — read this
- CyberForce 2025 Resources — what last year's team faced
- Team Structure & Roles — Green, Vuln Hunters, Monitors
- Technical Prep Guide — Linux, Windows, Open PLC, PHP, networking
- Training VM Technical Prep — access and use the training VM sandbox
- Training VM Challenges by Role — role-specific VM challenges
- What is CCDC? — overview & competition structure
- CyberForce → CCDC: What Carries Over — what transfers, what doesn't
- How Scoring Works — services, injects, incident response
- Team Roles — the five roles and what each owns
- Common Pitfalls — what consistently costs teams points
- CyberForce Team Kickoff — Sept 22 playbook
- CCDC 101 — Sept 24: what & why
- CCDC Deep Dive — Sept 29: how it works + roster sign-up
- C-Suite Briefing Prep Guide — practice sessions, recording tips
- Welcome Event Playbook — agenda, talking points, veteran scripts
- Handoff Guide — read this first if you're taking over
- Admin Meeting Notes — decisions made, timeline
- CyberForce Common Pitfalls — what went wrong + how to fix
- CCDC Common Pitfalls — what went wrong in CCDC
- Mentoring Guide — how to help a team
- Red Team Guide — help run the competition (no documentation yet)
- Archive: Lessons from Veterans (no documentation yet)
lug-cyberforce-curriculum/
README.md (this file)
HANDOFF.md
CONTRIBUTING.md
docs/
cyberforce101.md
ccdc101.md
event-timeline.md
shared-foundations.md
ccdc-scoring-guide.md
ccdc-roles.md
cyberforce-common-pitfalls.md
ccdc-common-pitfalls.md
official-links.md
admin-timeline.md (WIP)
events/
fall-2026/
cyberforce-team-kickoff/
speaker-notes.md
ccdc101/
speaker-notes.md
ccdc-deep-dive/
speaker-notes.md
cyberforce-ctf/ (⚠️ EMPTY - stub)
competition-prep/
cyberforce/
cyberforce-technical-prep.md
linux-quickref.md
windows-quickref.md
open-plc-primer.md
tools.md
role-prep/
green_team_guide.md
monitoring+hardening_guide.md
vuln_hunter_guide.md
ccdc/
README.md
timeline.md (⚠️ WIP - waiting on 2027 packet)
drills/
incident-report-template.md
inject-response-template.md
service-template.md
skill-domains/
active-directory.md
linux-sysadmin.md
windows-sysadmin.md
networking.md
cryptography.md
legal-frameworks.md
buisness-comms.md
virtualization.md
topology/
2026-mwccdc-topology.md
palo-alto-primer.md
vm-roles.md
team-formation/
role-descriptions.md
team-balancing-guide.md
team-mentor-matching.md
announcements/
README.md
2026announcements/ (content)
announcement-templates/
announcements_template_kickoff.md
announcements_template-registration.md
resources/
.gitignore (⚠️ folder mostly empty)
templates/ (⚠️ EMPTY - for copy-paste templates)
leads/ (⚠️ EMPTY - for lead-specific docs)
scorecards-feedback/ (⚠️ EMPTY - fills after competition)
archival/ (⚠️ EMPTY - historical competition materials)
If you're a CyberForce competitor:
- Read CyberForce 101
- Check Competition Timeline
- Study CyberForce 2025 Team's Google Drive
- Explore Technical Prep based on your role
- Attend workshops and events listed in the calendar
If you're a CCDC competitor:
- Read CCDC 101
- Read Shared Foundations — know your gaps coming from CyberForce
- Read Team Roles — know your role before the Invitational
- Read Scoring Guide — understand what the points actually come from
- Attend CCDC 101 and CCDC Deep Dive sessions (Sept 24 and Sept 29)
If you're running an event:
- Go to
/events/[event-name]/ - Read the speaker notes and agenda
- Copy any templates you need
- Run the event
- Add a debrief note to the event folder for next year
If you're taking over next year:
- Read HANDOFF.md first
- Check Event Timeline for key deadlines
- Review CyberForce Common Pitfalls and CCDC Common Pitfalls
- Skim Admin Timeline Notes
- Check GitHub Issues for unfinished work
- Ask the previous leads questions before they graduate
| Date | What | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 9 | GBM — CCDC pitch | Both |
| Sept 22 | CyberForce Team Kickoff | CyberForce |
| Sept 24 | CCDC 101 — what & why | CCDC |
| Sept 29 | CCDC Deep Dive — how it works + roster sign-up | CCDC |
| Oct 1 | CCDC national registration window opens | CCDC |
| Oct 7 | CyberForce CTF | CyberForce |
| Oct 18/25/Nov 1 | MWCCDC Invitationals (est.) | CCDC |
| Oct 19 | Role Bootcamp Day 1 — Green Team | CyberForce |
| Oct 21 | Role Bootcamp Day 2 — Vulnerability Hunting | CyberForce |
| Oct 23 | Role Bootcamp Day 3 — System Hardening | CyberForce |
| Oct 26, 6pm CT | CyberForce phase 1 begins ✅ | CyberForce |
| Oct 29 | Hack-o-ween CTF (WiCyS collab, est.) | CTF Group |
| Nov or Spring Sem. | CCDC post-Invitational debrief | CCDC |
| Nov 2, 6pm CT | CyberForce phase 2 begins ✅ | CyberForce |
| Nov 13–14 | CyberForce Competition ✅ | CyberForce |
| Date | What | Competition |
|---|---|---|
| ~Feb 14 | Illinois State CCDC Qualifier (est.) | CCDC |
| Feb 17 | Intro to CyberForce — open recruiting kickoff | CyberForce |
| Feb 12 | Caught the Lovebug CTF (WiCyS collab, est.) | CTF Group |
| Feb 25 | Intro to CCDC #1 — what & why (open recruiting) | CCDC |
| ~Feb 21 | Midwest Wildcard Round (est.) | CCDC |
| Mar 2 | Intro to CCDC #2 — how it works (open recruiting) | CCDC |
| Mar 9 | Spring CTF — open, beginner-friendly | CTF Group |
| ~Mar 20–21 | MWCCDC Regionals — Purdue NW (est.) | CCDC |
| Mar 23 / Mar 30 | Roster-building workshops | Both |
| ~Apr 5–11 | Capture the Flame (WiCyS flagship CTF) | WiCyS |
| ~Apr 12–18 | Byte the Flame CTF (WiCyS collab, est.) | CTF Group |
| ~Apr 24–26 | National CCDC (est.) | CCDC |
| Apr 20 | Roster-building / summer registration push | Both |
| Apr 27 | Dev team applications + leadership positions open for CTF Group | Both |
✅ = confirmed from official sources. All other dates estimated from prior seasons.
Full detail in event-timeline.md
CyberForce questions? → Read CyberForce 101 or DM @AJ
CCDC questions? → Read CCDC 101 or DM @AJ
Technical questions? → Check Technical Prep
Role or team questions? → Check CyberForce Roles or CCDC Roles
Repo issue? → Open a GitHub Issue or message @AJ
Want to add something? See CONTRIBUTING.md for:
- How to add new materials
- File naming conventions
- When to create vs. update files
- Who to ask for feedback
Key rule: Add "Last updated" dates to everything so the next lead knows what's current.
Last updated: August 2026
Maintained by: AJ & LUG CTF Group Admin team
Competitions covered: CyberForce (Fall) · CCDC via MWCCDC (Spring)
For questions: See above or check CONTRIBUTING.md
This repo exists so that:
- Competitors have clear learning paths for both CyberForce and CCDC
- Event leaders have playbooks to run events without reinventing them
- Admins have timelines and checklists to stay on track
- Institutional knowledge doesn't disappear when people graduate
- Next year's leads don't start from zero
Make it better each year. Leave notes for the next person. Document lessons learned.