CryptoQuest

Event Coordinators

Jayden D'Souza

Event Coordinator

Shrinivas Inamdar

Event Coordinator

Details

Date: 11th October 2024

Time: 9:30 am - 1:00 pm

Mode: offline

Venue :C1, C2, C3 Lab

Members: 2 per team

Rules

Pre-requisites:

Basic understanding of English grammar.
Proficiency in C, C++ or Python.
Understanding of basic data structures like stacks, queues, linked lists, etc.
Having some knowledge of ciphers like Caesar, Bacon, Vigenère, Mirror Writing and Substitution will be helpful for participants.

General Rules and Regulations:

Each team will consist of 2 participants.
Any number of teams from a college can participate.
Teams must report to the designated lab 30 minutes before the event starts.
Round 1: Code will be provided without the main function; participants need to implement the main decryption logic. The code will be given in the language chosen by the team during registration (coordinators will show a demo of how the round works). One team member will write the code while the other decrypts a cipher on paper.
Rounds 2 and 3: Participants will need to code from scratch for all tasks. In Round 2, the roles will be reversed: the team member who decrypted on paper in Round 1 will now write the code and the other team member will decrypt a cipher on paper.
Hints related to mathematical equations or tables for decryption will be provided.
If participants can't figure out the code, hints can be provided at the cost of points.
The cipher description and the programming task will be provided during the event; they will not be disclosed beforehand.
The tie-breaker round: Will be conducted in case of a tie. Preference will be given to the team that finishes the task first and the final decision will be made by the Inspirus Coordinator and the HOD.
Participants should be comfortable with data structures like stacks, queues, arrays, linked lists, etc.
Participants should be familiar with ciphers such as Caesar, Bacon, Vigenère, Mirror Writing and Substitution.
No web access will be provided during the event and cheating or the use of external code will not be tolerated. Any violation of this rule will result in immediate disqualification from the event.

Judging Criteria:

Correctness of the Decrypted Message: Accuracy of the decrypted output.
Execution Time: Time taken to complete each round’s task.
Code Implementation: Structure and efficiency of the code.

Prizes

1st Place: ₹2000

2nd Place: ₹1000

Team Members

2

Members Per Team

Eligibility

Higher Secondary, Undergraduate and Diploma Students from professional and non-professional institutions.

Round Details

Round 1: (45 minutes)
Description:
Teams will work on two tasks simultaneously, with one participant focusing on one task and the other on a different task. Participants can assist each other if one task is completed early.
Sub-Round 1A:

Task: Participant 1 codes the decryption logic for the provided task using a code snippet without the main function.
Points: 15
Rules:
1. Participants will receive a code snippet with the main function missing. They need to complete the main decryption logic.
2. A sample output will be provided.
3. A description of how to approach the task will be given.

Sub-Round 1B:

Task: Participant 2 decrypts a provided cipher on paper.
Points: 10
Rules:
1. Participants need to decrypt the provided cipher using the paper-based method.
2. A description of how to approach the task will be given.

Note:
Teams must complete both tasks in this round to proceed to the next round. If either task is not completed, 5 points will be deducted for each incomplete task.

Round 2: (45 minutes)
Description:
This round continues to test the participants' cryptography skills, with roles reversed from Round 1. The team member who decrypted on paper in Round 1 will now write the code, and the other team member will decrypt a cipher on paper.
Sub-Round 2A:

Task: Participant 1 (who decrypted on paper in Round 1) will code the solution for a provided cipher task from scratch.
Points: 15
Rules:
1. Participants must implement the program to solve the provided cipher using any data structure, such as stacks, queues, arrays, linked lists, etc.
2. A description of how to approach the task will be provided.

Sub-Round 2B:

Task: Participant 2 (who coded in Round 1) will decrypt a provided cipher on paper.
Points: 10
Rules:
1. Participants need to decrypt the provided cipher using a paper-based method.
2. A description of how to approach the task will be given.

Note:
Teams must complete both tasks in this round to proceed to Round 3. If either task is not completed, 5 points will be deducted for each incomplete task.

Round 3: (1 hour)
Description:
In this round, participants will use a key obtained from the previous round to decode a cipher. This tests the participants' ability to apply cryptographic techniques and ensures the correct usage of provided data.

Task: Use the key obtained from the previous round to decode a provided cipher.
Points: 35
Rules:
1. Participants must apply the key from the previous round directly to decrypt the provided cipher.
2. Do not attempt to brute force the key; use the provided key from the previous round.
3. Ensure correct application of the key for accurate decryption.
4. Any data structure can be used, such as stacks, queues, arrays, linked lists, etc.

Tie Breaker Round:
Description:
The tie-breaker round is designed to resolve any ties that occur between teams. In this round, one participant from each tied team will decrypt a provided cipher using a paper-based method. The round is time-based; the first participant to solve the cipher wins the event.

Task: Decrypt a provided cipher on paper (only 1 participant).
Rules:
1. The tie-breaker will involve decrypting a cipher using a paper-based method.
2. Only one participant from the tied teams will participate in this round.
3. The first team to solve the cipher will win the event.