The Legend of State F
An ideal place for those seeking a calm and happy life without worries. Its inhabitants lived in a digital utopia and believed it would always be that way. Until one virus became a catastrophe for them.
The Legend of State F
An ideal place for those seeking a calm and happy life without worries. Its inhabitants lived in a digital utopia and believed it would always be that way. Until one virus became a catastrophe for them.
City F. The city that disappeared to be reborn as a state.
Ten years ago, a prosperous city encountered a cyberattack for the first time. All texts on the news portal of the company 25 Hours were replaced with a mysterious symbol: <>. Confusion quickly turned into indifference, and everything was dismissed as a technical error. But the story had only just begun.
A couple of years later, the number of attacks on the city’s infrastructure increased tenfold! Residents no longer felt safe. Familiar services worked intermittently, digital assistants refused to answer questions, and the owners of city-forming enterprises and companies began looking for ways to move their businesses to calmer places.
Another three years later, the digital ecosystem of City F encountered a virus it could not withstand. All critical systems were encrypted beyond recovery, industrial facilities were severely damaged or destroyed, and power grids, water supply, and heating systems were shut down.
Faced with colossal losses and the inability to influence the consequences of isolation, the city government resigned from its powers. Businesses shut down completely. The city sank into desolation and anarchy.
The Birth of State F
Five years ago, a new beginning emerged from the ruins of City F. The survivors of the digital catastrophe found the resources to rebuild and created an entirely new model — a society that would never again fall victim to its own fragility. Thus, State F was born. The events that unfolded after the first cyberattack became known in the history of the state as the "Existential Shutdown." Having learned from experience, people began to pay more attention to what lies "inside" their digital systems.
The capital City became the center of the new state. And the main symbol of the state was unanimously chosen as that very mysterious sign that marked the beginning of a new society.
The Capital and the Mayor
In City, in the skyscraper of the "fled" company 25 Hours, the management company established its office. The first elections in the history of State F were held for the position of Mayor of City. With a margin of 53% of the vote, the winner was a longtime resident of City F, a former encryption programmer and business development manager at the IT company Hello World Systems. His election campaign resonated in the hearts of the residents and became the foundation of the digital transformation of State F.
The Only Truth
The only truth is that a vulnerability can exist anywhere. In a world of infinite threats, there is no absolute meaning or guaranteed protection. But that is no reason for inaction. The path to security lies through a reasonable balance between paranoia and carelessness, functionality and security. Do not fight threats with brute force — steer their flow instead. Create flexible systems that can adapt. Treat every threat as a training exercise for your defense system.
Cyberbattle
Cyberbattle. Without testing through attack, any defense is just theory.
The central idea of the digital transformation of State F became the concept of continuous adaptation and improvement of information system security. Thus, the Standoff Cyberbattle was created — a large-scale "stress test" for digital services across the entire State F. It helps the state minimize damage from large-scale crises and maintain public safety in ordinary times. All year long, the best minds of State F prepare patches, build defenses, and update systems. And during the Cyberbattle, these measures face their toughest test.
Once a year, for several days, any resident of the state can participate in a "digital race" to identify vulnerabilities and become an "attacker." During the Cyberbattle, laws and morals are relaxed, and penalties related to cybercrimes are suspended. The most elegant and sophisticated hacks become a source of pride and admiration.
The actions of the hackers are observed by information security teams — the "defenders" of leading enterprises in State F. They strive to meticulously record all actions of the "attackers" in order to later reconstruct the timeline of successful cyberattacks as fully as possible.
After the Cyberbattle ends, all specialists of State F gather to analyze discovered flaws, share effective defense measures, and help those whose systems have been compromised.
The Legacy
Over the years of Cyberbattles, the most talented hackers have formed tight-knit teams that have gone down in the history of State F. Many residents dream of being like one of the participants or even joining such a team themselves. Therefore, they train online at the Standoff Hackbase training ground. They have access to a virtual infrastructure of the state with realistic copies of IT systems.
Meanwhile, artifacts and attack chains from past Cyberbattles serve as the foundation for advanced training of specialists throughout State F. For this purpose, a special training ground called Standoff Defend was created.
Thanks to this progressive approach to cybersecurity, the residents of State F no longer need to worry that their daily routine will be suddenly disrupted by cyberattacks.
A couple of years later, the number of attacks on the city’s infrastructure increased tenfold! Residents no longer felt safe. Familiar services worked intermittently, digital assistants refused to answer questions, and the owners of city-forming enterprises and companies began looking for ways to move their businesses to calmer places.
Another three years later, the digital ecosystem of City F encountered a virus it could not withstand. All critical systems were encrypted beyond recovery, industrial facilities were severely damaged or destroyed, and power grids, water supply, and heating systems were shut down.
Faced with colossal losses and the inability to influence the consequences of isolation, the city government resigned from its powers. Businesses shut down completely. The city sank into desolation and anarchy.
The Birth of State F
Five years ago, a new beginning emerged from the ruins of City F. The survivors of the digital catastrophe found the resources to rebuild and created an entirely new model — a society that would never again fall victim to its own fragility. Thus, State F was born. The events that unfolded after the first cyberattack became known in the history of the state as the "Existential Shutdown." Having learned from experience, people began to pay more attention to what lies "inside" their digital systems.
The capital City became the center of the new state. And the main symbol of the state was unanimously chosen as that very mysterious sign that marked the beginning of a new society.
The Capital and the Mayor
In City, in the skyscraper of the "fled" company 25 Hours, the management company established its office. The first elections in the history of State F were held for the position of Mayor of City. With a margin of 53% of the vote, the winner was a longtime resident of City F, a former encryption programmer and business development manager at the IT company Hello World Systems. His election campaign resonated in the hearts of the residents and became the foundation of the digital transformation of State F.
The Only Truth
The only truth is that a vulnerability can exist anywhere. In a world of infinite threats, there is no absolute meaning or guaranteed protection. But that is no reason for inaction. The path to security lies through a reasonable balance between paranoia and carelessness, functionality and security. Do not fight threats with brute force — steer their flow instead. Create flexible systems that can adapt. Treat every threat as a training exercise for your defense system.
Cyberbattle
Cyberbattle. Without testing through attack, any defense is just theory.
The central idea of the digital transformation of State F became the concept of continuous adaptation and improvement of information system security. Thus, the Standoff Cyberbattle was created — a large-scale "stress test" for digital services across the entire State F. It helps the state minimize damage from large-scale crises and maintain public safety in ordinary times. All year long, the best minds of State F prepare patches, build defenses, and update systems. And during the Cyberbattle, these measures face their toughest test.
Once a year, for several days, any resident of the state can participate in a "digital race" to identify vulnerabilities and become an "attacker." During the Cyberbattle, laws and morals are relaxed, and penalties related to cybercrimes are suspended. The most elegant and sophisticated hacks become a source of pride and admiration.
The actions of the hackers are observed by information security teams — the "defenders" of leading enterprises in State F. They strive to meticulously record all actions of the "attackers" in order to later reconstruct the timeline of successful cyberattacks as fully as possible.
After the Cyberbattle ends, all specialists of State F gather to analyze discovered flaws, share effective defense measures, and help those whose systems have been compromised.
The Legacy
Over the years of Cyberbattles, the most talented hackers have formed tight-knit teams that have gone down in the history of State F. Many residents dream of being like one of the participants or even joining such a team themselves. Therefore, they train online at the Standoff Hackbase training ground. They have access to a virtual infrastructure of the state with realistic copies of IT systems.
Meanwhile, artifacts and attack chains from past Cyberbattles serve as the foundation for advanced training of specialists throughout State F. For this purpose, a special training ground called Standoff Defend was created.
Thanks to this progressive approach to cybersecurity, the residents of State F no longer need to worry that their daily routine will be suddenly disrupted by cyberattacks.
