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theDifference Consulting

theDiffernece

Hack-A-Sat Capture the Flag Competition

Developed creative, compelling and educational marketing to build an unlikely alliance of government, industry and hackers to secure space
Hack-A-Sat

Challenge

As our lives become increasingly dependent on technologies that lie deep in space and the commercialization of space accelerates above us… space cybersecurity has become increasingly important. The Department of the Air Force needed to build a community across industry, academia, government and security researchers to help secure space. But how would they attract such disparate groups into one community focused on this critical issue?

Solution

Now in our 4th year, theDifference is an integral part of an all-star team building this community. The focal point is a Capture the Flag hacking competition enabling advanced security researchers to access equipment and software and gain skills and experience in space. This year marks a milestone. The competition will occur on an actual on-orbit satellite built and launched for training experiences like Hack-A-Sat that are designed to advance cybersecurity. theDifference has created and evolved a distinctive Hack-A-Sat brand, narrative, website, social media presence and countless promotional and academic videos, materials and experiences to grow the community and help everyone learn space faster. Each year, we’ve supported Hack-A-Sat workshops and educational interactions at DEF CON and produced the final event broadcast so thousands worldwide can tune in to the excitement.

Impact

Over the years, Hack-A-Sat has drawn international attention to space cybersecurity with articles in Wired, Tech Crunch, Bloomberg, Space News and Air Force Magazine. We’ve attracted the best hackers in the world to participate in the competition and get excited about working in the space domain. We’ve also helped expand the alliance with over 100 government, academic, industry and international partners; all focused on improving space cybersecurity.
Hack-A-Sat
DoD innovation

“Hack-A-Sat is an excellent example of DoD innovation. It is a breeding ground for innovative problem solvers and technology from throughout our ecosystem to tackle some of the toughest challenges we face in space.”

Lt Col Walter “Rock” McMillan, Director of SpaceWERX

4

years

14,147

quals players

15
finals teams

12,273

successful challenge solutions

28K+

website visitors

7K+

twitter followers