GRAFO Research Group Wins National Cybersecurity CTF Competition

Madrid, Spain - The GRAFO (Group for Research in Algorithms For Optimization) research group from Universidad Rey Juan Carlos has achieved a remarkable victory in the cybersecurity field, with three of their researchers winning first place in the Capture The Flag (CTF) competition at the VII National Cybersecurity Research Conference.

Outstanding Achievement

PhD students Isaac Lozano Osorio, Raúl Martín Santamaría, and Sergio Pérez Peló from the GRAFO research group secured first place in the highly competitive CTF challenge, competing against 277 participants divided into 93 teams from around the world. This victory demonstrates the exceptional skills and collaborative excellence of the URJC research team.

About the Competition

The VII National Cybersecurity Research Conference (VII Jornadas Nacionales de Investigación en Ciberseguridad) featured one of the most prestigious CTF competitions in the Spanish cybersecurity landscape. The competition challenges participants to solve complex security problems, requiring advanced knowledge in:

• Cryptography and security protocols
• Network security and penetration testing
• Reverse engineering and malware analysis
• Digital forensics and incident response
• Web application security

The Winning Team

The victorious team represents the interdisciplinary nature of the GRAFO research group, where optimization algorithms meet cybersecurity challenges:

• Isaac Lozano Osorio: PhD student specializing in social network optimization and metaheuristics
• Raúl Martín Santamaría: PhD student focusing on automatic generation of metaheuristic algorithms and cybersecurity applications
• Sergio Pérez Peló: PhD student with expertise in optimization algorithms and graph theory

Research Excellence Meets Practical Application

This victory highlights the strong connection between theoretical research in optimization and practical cybersecurity applications. The GRAFO research group’s work in artificial intelligence, metaheuristics, and algorithmic optimization provides a solid foundation for tackling complex cybersecurity challenges.

The team’s success demonstrates how advanced computational intelligence research can be effectively applied to real-world security problems, bridging the gap between academic research and industry needs.

About GRAFO Research Group

The Group for Research in Algorithms For Optimization (GRAFO) at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos is a high-performance research group specializing in optimization algorithms, metaheuristics, and their applications to complex problems in science and engineering. Led by distinguished researchers, the group has established itself as a leading force in computational intelligence research.

Impact and Recognition

This achievement adds to the growing recognition of Universidad Rey Juan Carlos as a center of excellence in both cybersecurity and optimization research. The victory showcases the university’s commitment to fostering interdisciplinary research that addresses real-world challenges.

The success of the GRAFO team members reinforces the importance of combining theoretical algorithmic research with practical cybersecurity skills, preparing the next generation of researchers to tackle the evolving landscape of digital security threats.

This news article celebrates the outstanding achievement of the GRAFO research group members in demonstrating excellence in cybersecurity competition while pursuing their doctoral research in optimization algorithms.