Frequently Asked Questions

Am I eligible for Phase 3?

YES! Everyone is eligible for phase 3. We did limit phase 2, but we would like as much participation as possible in phase 3.

Who are you guys?

Aside from not being all guys, we are a U.S. company performing security testing and security metric research.

Are you for real?

Yes. Last year, we ran the Hacker Challenge 2006 and gave away more than $15,000 in a challenge to defeat a three-protection code for Linux. This year's challenge is more complicated and will be run on Windows. See our 2006 Results page for more information about last year's Hacker Challenge.

How do I know that you aren't going to harvest my email address and send me spam or try to track me down?

Are you really planning to give us a real (non-throwaway) email address? Seriously, that is not our interest. This is our second year of running the challenge, and there have been no complaints online or elsewhere that we have done anything nefarious with people's identities. We take privacy very seriously.

What should my report look like for the Hacker Challenge?

Please see our Report Template page for information on the reports; what we are looking for; and how they will be scored.

How does the information market in Phase 2 work?

Please see our Market Tutorial pages. You might also want to sign up for our test market for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. You can subscribe and unsubscribe from this market as many times as you would like in order to better understand how the market operates. We are not making any payouts for the test market. Also note that you are not allowed to unsubscribe and resubscribe to the Hacker Challenge information market. This market will open on Monday, September 17th.

In Phase 1, prizes are awarded on the basis of how quickly a solution is submitted and on the quality of the report. Can I submit a solution as soon as I find it and then submit the report later?

Yes. The report and the solution can be submitted separately and each have their own timestamp for submission. Feel free to submit the solution as soon as possible and report before the September 10th deadline. Times for the solution will be based on the last solution submitted.

When will the results be posted?

Results for each phase will be posted after phase ends and we are not making any announcements until then. We hope to have some preliminary results for phase one available by the end of the day on September 10th.

Are these really frequently asked questions?

Well, no. But we think they are questions that people should ask.