National Missing Persons Hackathon

The National Missing Persons Hackathon returns in 2024, bringing together enthusiasts across 7 locations to generate open source intelligence (OSINT) leads for Australian missing persons cases.

Where is the event located?

This event is in person across seven locations; Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. Hackathon Headquarters will be located in Sydney and live streamed to all locations and for general public viewing. 

How does it work?

The event is modelled on a Capture-The-Flag challenge, where teams solve a series of puzzles to ‘capture flags’ that accrue points. The team with the most points wins.

The National Missing Persons Hackathon consists of teams with up to four participants, or as individuals, with the aim to source information that is publicly available on the internet on six missing person cases provided. Each piece of information or ‘flag’  is submitted via a virtual platform. Case Managers are assigned to each missing person case to verify the flag being submitted and points are accrued. The event culminates in each team generating an ‘information report’ which is reviewed and points awarded on its content and structure. The team with the highest score wins the ‘challenge’.

All submitted information reports are collated and handed to the relevant State and Territory police. 

If you see yourself as an ‘online investigator’, 'ethical hacker' or a 'cyber sleuth', then this is the event for you! No previous experience is necessary, just a strong sense of curiosity, a keen eye for detail and a passion to do community good!

Where is the event located?

This event is in person across six locations; Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney. Hackathon Headquarters will be located in Sydney and live streamed to all locations and for general public viewing. 

How do I participate?

There are two admission categories based on the level of training you wish to obtain and an extra add-on for purchase with your ticket.

• Admission (Fundamental OSINT) $50 (valued at over $150) - entry to the event, merchandise pack including an event t-shirt and access to the online OSINT training program ‘OSINT Fundamentals Program’ from OSINT Combine Academy. 

• Admission (Intermediate OSINT) $100 (valued at over $450) - entry to the event, merchandise pack including an event t-shirt and access to the online OSINT training programs ‘OSINT Fundamentals Program’ and ‘OSINT Intermediate Program’ from OSINT Combine Academy.

• Cyber Career Assessment $200 (valued at over $2,500) - gain a comprehensive assessment of your cyber skills with access to CyberGen.IQ cyber aptitude assessment, Fifth Domain cyber skills assessment and a 45 minute session with a cyber security Career Coach to help you interpret your results and set you on the best path to achieve your cyber career goals.

All tickets include catering during the event which includes food and refreshments.

As a not-for-profit event, all ticket sales directly contribute to the delivery of the event.

Important Information For Participants

Participation is in person and only open to those residing in Australia. A virtual admission may be considered if the event is not at capacity.

Due to the nature of the event accessing information on the internet, you will need to be 18 years or over to agree to terms and conditions in place for participation.

Review the information on the National Missing Persons website on how to prepare for the event.

Need further information?

Social Media

We encourage you to follow us on social media to keep up to date with the latest information and updates.

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/compa...

X - https://x.com/NMPHackathon

Discord

All registered tickets will receive a link to the National Missing Persons Discord community. 

Webinars

Several webinars will be delivered to support participation on topics such as platform familiarity, information report writing and the cyber career assessments.

Website

Information and resources on the event are available at www.missingpersonshackathon.com.au 

Haven’t found what you’re looking for?

Please reach out to us through the website contact form or email us: nmp-hackathon@cygenus.com.au