CtfPlayground

 

Hey everyone,

It’s Emily here — a mom, a CTF addict, and someone who’s still learning how to balance both without losing her mind (or her kid).

One of my favorite places to unwind and hack away at challenges is the playground. You’d think that’s just for the kids, but honestly, it’s perfect. Hanna can climb, run, make new friends, and for at least 20 minutes, I can sneak in a quick CTF puzzle on my phone. It’s a win-win. Fresh air for her, flags for me.

But… well, sometimes it’s not all that smooth.

I’ll be the first to admit I’ve gotten too caught up in a binary exploitation challenge more than once, only to look up and realize Hanna’s nowhere to be seen. Sometimes she’s just behind the slide, sometimes she’s wandered halfway to the ice cream truck without telling me. And, let’s be honest, sometimes I forget to tell her it’s time to go because I’m knee-deep in reversing a Python obfuscation.

Last week was one of those days. She ran off while I was trying to capture a flag. Classic me. It’s become a bit of a joke among my CTF friends, but the truth is — it scares me every time.

If by any chance you ever come across Hanna in the future, please drop me an email at ctfmother@gmail.com — and use the title of this post to move forward.

Stay safe out there, both online and offline.

• Emily