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Sticker Heist

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Sticker Heist is a portable, story-driven cybersecurity challenge built around a locked safe full of laptop stickers. Teams gather reconnaissance, uncover weaknesses, and work together to defeat the alarm and locking systems without resorting to brute force or destructive shortcuts.

A hands-on challenge with a real objective

In the Sticker Heist scenario, laptop stickers have become high-value loot and your team has found the vault. The safe is protected, the clock is ticking, and success depends on careful observation, teamwork, and smart technical choices. The goal is simple: get through the defenses, open the box, and get the stickers without alerting Sticker HQ.

Reconnaissance, puzzle solving, and exploitation

Sticker Heist is designed as a hands-on, minds-on exercise where players investigate the system, identify weaknesses, and use free open-source tools to move from reconnaissance to exploitation. Along the way, teams practice communication, leadership, and creative problem solving while learning foundational cybersecurity concepts in a playful format.

Built to be accessible and team-based

The challenge was created to engage high school and college learners, but it works well for anyone who enjoys collaborative security puzzles. It is easy to understand at a glance, but layered enough to reward careful recon and group strategy. It is also backed by an NSF-funded project led by Mike Libassi.

Mission rules matter. No unplugging power, no destructive hardware changes, and no brute-force physical tampering. Stealth, recon, and teamwork are the point of the exercise.