Workshop on
“CTF & Offensive Security for Risk Management Awareness”
Date and venue: December 12th, 2025 - Starhotels Excelsior, Bologna, Italy (city centre, in front of the main railway station)
Organized by: SERICS project, Spoke 8 (University of Bologna)
Over the past years, Capture-The-Flag (CTF) competitions have proven to be a powerful educational tool to train the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.
Through the hands-on, offensive approach typical of CTFs, participants gain a deeper understanding of real-world vulnerabilities, enhance their analytical mindset, and strengthen risk awareness and skills for modern cyber defense and management.
The “CTF & Offensive Security for Risk Management Awareness” workshop aims to bring together researchers, teachers, students, CTF players, and anyone willing to know more about the gamification of cybersecurity training to share experiences, methodologies, and tools that demonstrate how offensive training and CTF-based learning can be integrated into cyber risk management and awareness programs.
Registration for the Waiting List
There is no registration fee. Attendees other than the speakers are welcome on a first-register-first-accepted basis. Coffee and lunch breaks are provided.
Because of the limited number of seats available, registration is mandatory.
Register for the waiting listEvent Agenda
- "It's just a game: the risks of underestimating complexity when gamifying real world scenarios", Lorenzo Demeio (University of Trento, IT)
- "Gamifying supply chain security", Jacopo Mauro (SDU, DK)
- "Introducing formal methods through gamification", Marco Peressotti (SDU, DK)
- "Blockchain Security and Gamification", Renato Eugenio Maria Marziano (University of Bologna, IT)
- "On attacking AI models in CTFs", Karina Chichifoi (University of Bologna, IT)
- "Building a Cyber Island: The Sardinia Len Journey", Davide Maiorca (University of Cagliari, IT)
- "IaC and GitOps in CTF Platforms: How we automated CTF platform and challenge deployment for BrunnerCTF 2025", Mikkel Albrechtsen (SDU, DK)
- "How (not) to organise an onsite ctf", Matteo Paier (IMT Lucca, IT), Luca Campa (Universitat Innsbruck, AT), and Michele Lizzit (University of Udine, IT)
- "PascalCTF: how to start playing at a high school level", Alan Davide Bovo, Marco Balducci, and Enea Maroncelli (IIS Pascal (IIS Pascal Comandini, IT)
How to reach the venue
The workshop will be held at the Starhotels Excelsior, located in the city center of Bologna, right in front of the main railway station (Stazione di Bologna Centrale).
🚆 By train
Bologna Centrale is a major railway hub in Italy, well connected to national and international destinations. From the station, the venue is just a short walk across the street.
🚌 By bus
Inside the metropolitan area of Bologna, you can use the local bus service operated by TPER. Several bus lines stop at or near Bologna Centrale railway station.
If you're coming from outside Bologna, either take a train to Bologna Centrale or use long-distance bus services that connect to the city bus station, located near the railway station (Autostazione di Bologna).
✈️ By plane
Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport (BLQ) is the main airport serving Bologna. It is well connected to several European cities.
From the airport, you can take a taxi or the Marconi Express shuttle train to Bologna Centrale railway station. The shuttle train runs frequently and takes about 7 minutes to reach the city center.
🚗 By car
Bologna is easily reachable by car via the A1, A13, and A14 motorways.
Finding parking in the city center can be challenging, so it is recommended to use public transportation or park in designated parking areas outside the city center and use public transport to reach the venue.
Organizing Committee
- Marco Prandini (Università di Bologna)
- Eyad Issa (Università di Bologna)