From Competitor to Creator

Designing Capture the Flag Challenges for CACI

Logan Kotlus is a Cyber Security Engineering (CYSE) major at George Mason University in the Accelerated Master’s Program (M.S., Spring 2027). He completed the CCI Project-Based Learning Program with CACI in Fall 2025 and is participating in CACI’s 2026 Summer Program.

What made you interested in this project, and what were you working on?

The project involved designing Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges for CACI, and I was immediately interested because I love competing in CTFs. The idea of getting to design challenges myself was really exciting, so I applied as soon as I heard about it.

What’s something new you learned or got to try during this experience?

Project-based learning is very open-ended, and CTFs allow for a lot of flexibility in topics. Because of that, I was able to experiment with technologies I had always wanted to explore but never had time for. This included signal processing, exploit development, custom file formats, hardware encryption, and more.

Was there a moment where you felt challenged? What did you do to figure it out?

There was a point almost every week where I found myself working on a challenge that I wasn’t sure I could finish. The only way to get through that was to stay focused and keep working. A big motivator was not wanting to fall behind in front of my peers, which repeatedly pushed me to put my head down and solve problems

What was it like working with a real employer on a cybersecurity project?

It was a great experience. Working with CACI gave me insight into a professional cybersecurity environment, and I really enjoyed the experience. I’ve even had the opportunity to continue working with them again this summer.

How has this experience influenced what you want to do next in your career?

This experience showed me how many different directions my career could take. Before, I thought there were only one or two roles I’d be interested in. But after getting the chance to experiment with a variety of technologies and see where I perform well, I now have a much broader range of career paths to consider.