What It’s Like to Compete in a Cyber Hackathon (and Win)

I’ve competed in every National Cyber League (NCL) season since Fall 2023, growing from a first-time participant to ranking 1st at my college by Spring 2024. Through intense Capture-the-Flag challenges hosted by Cyber Skyline, I sharpened real-world cybersecurity skills across forensics, OSINT, password cracking, and more. This blog shares my journey, top tools, lessons learned, and why the NCL is the perfect launchpad for any aspiring cybersecurity professional.