Pointe-Claire (RMR) Cadets Compete in University Cybersecurity Competition
Article written by Cadet Correspondent, Sergeant Tali Rekhels
Westmount, Quebec – 20 May 2025: On Saturday, March 29, 2025, my cadet corps became the first ever to participate in PolyPwnCTF, a student-led cybersecurity Capture the Flag competition hosted at Polytechnique Montréal.
We left the cadet corps at 0745 hours in two cars and headed to the university. When we arrived, we were welcomed with an introductory presentation that explained the rules, the schedule, and how many flags we could try to capture. When we left the lecture hall, we couldn’t help but notice a huge room packed with tables, each surrounded by four people setting up their laptops, ready to hack away at the day’s challenges. The theme was cinema, and they even gave us popcorn! Throughout the day, we also got free breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which definitely helped keep our energy up.
Our corps had two teams competing. Most of the other teams were made up of college and university students, so it felt a bit intimidating at first. But once we sat down and started working, we realized we had what it takes. We had to use virtual machines, go through game files, decode scripts, break out of shells, and do a lot of on-the-spot research. Some challenges had us searching online for clues about characters. It pushed us outside our comfort zone and taught us more than we expected, especially about offensive cybersecurity, which we hadn’t really explored before.
Every single point we earned felt like a win. We cheered each other on, shared tips, and worked as a real team. It was intense, but honestly, it also brought us closer together as friends, which I really appreciated. There were also side activities like lock picking, which I had always wanted to try. It was fun, educational, and even earned us extra points.
Another part of the competition involved pitching a cybersecurity product idea. We created a whole presentation with slides, pitched it, and got a ton of compliments. They were shocked to see a cadet corps there for the first time, and they were impressed by the quality of our idea.
At the closing ceremony, we were given a special mention as the first cadet corps to ever compete. The head of the department, Professor Gabriela Nicolescu, even told us:
“Thank you very much for participating in the CTF. I’m impressed with the cadet team! The next generation promises a lot.”
She added that if we ever wanted to visit the research labs or join other activities in the future, they’d be happy to welcome us back.
It was our first time competing in a CTF, and it definitely tested everything we thought we knew about cybersecurity. What amazed me most was how quickly we adapted. We learned fast, used the resources we had, and gave it our all. I know the organizers were just as surprised because we had two teams of teenagers holding their own against university students. One of our teams placed 41st, and the other 51st, out of dozens of experienced competitors.
We were proud of ourselves, and the organizers were too. It wasn’t just about winning or solving challenges – it was about learning, growing, and proving to ourselves what we could do. I’ll never forget it.
