What is ctf-wiki-en?

CTF Wiki is a free, community-maintained educational resource for people who want to learn about cybersecurity through "Capture The Flag" competitions. In these competitions, participants solve security puzzles, like finding hidden data, breaking weak encryption, or exploiting software bugs, to recover a hidden "flag." It's a format that started at the DEFCON hacking conference in 1996 and has grown into a popular way for security enthusiasts to test and build their skills. The project exists because learning materials for CTF are scattered across the internet, making it hard for beginners to know where to start. The wiki is essentially an online textbook. It's built with a tool called mkdocs, which turns simple text files into a navigable website. You can read it on the live site, run a local copy that updates as you edit, or spin it up in a Docker container if you just want to browse it on your own machine. The content covers the foundational skills needed for CTF competitions, with plans to expand into advanced techniques and specialized topics over time. The target audience is beginners who are curious about security but overwhelmed by the fragmented learning resources available online. A student who wants to break into cybersecurity, a developer who wants to understand how attackers think, or a hobbyist who enjoys puzzles would all find value here. The project also connects to two companion repositories: one with practice challenges referenced in the wiki, and another with the security tools mentioned throughout the guides. A few things make this project notable. It's built on a principle that security knowledge should be freely shared and never commercialized. The creators explicitly state it will never publish a book, arguing that techniques evolve too quickly for print and that information should remain open. It's also a community effort, anyone can contribute by writing content or improving existing guides, provided they follow the contribution guidelines. The project frames learning as not just acquiring technical skills but developing problem-solving habits, curiosity, and the ability to teach yourself new things quickly.