TryHackMe: Is it a Good or Bad CTF Platform?

I’m gonna tell you everything about TryHackMe Since I Joined It to play CTFs….

This article contains criticism and minimal admiration, it may offend some people who are fans of TryHackMe and use it frequently to improve their cyber security skills. For those who are unfamiliar with TryHackMe, the next paragraph is for you.

TryHackMe is an online CTF platform that teaches Cybersecurity through an interactive virtual lab. You will learn about theoretical and practical security features using a virtual room framework, whether you are an expert or a beginner. It’s a user-friendly cybersecurity platform that challenges its users with a variety of CTF rooms to solve computer security problems and capture or defend computer systems. It differs from most other platforms in that, whereas most other platforms focus mostly on self-learning through providing material for its users, TryHackMe employs a variety of strategies to help individuals learn about the many, and often extremely complicated, levels of cybersecurity. These CTF Rooms are made up of a series of tasks that vary in complexity and need participants to use a variety of skill sets to complete.

When a User completes an individual challenge, the Participant is given a flag to submit to the specific CTF Rooms in order to earn points. There are usually two flags, one for the user and one for the root, although there may be more flags in some cases. So players could be the lone wolves who tackle the different tasks alone, and now TryHackMe has added the ability to invite friends to hack together on the same CTF Room, where they can collaborate to try to get more points as a team. Adding Other User Features was previously unavailable, but it is now available on TryHackMe, which is a useful feature. It can assist you in collaborating with other users to solve a CTF. Once You’ve Completed The Full Task It’ll Give you the knowledge that can help you to Understand the CyberSecurity in Practical Way, Literally Practical Way not as seen in the movies. A CTF competition may take a few hours, or can Take entire day or even multiple days to Get Solved. So as you know on the TryHackMe there’s only two hours to solve in a day for free user but premium users can take more time to solve the CTF.

And That’s The Game……

WHY TRYHACKME IS GETTING WORSE ?

It needs a lot of improvements, There are some problem which should be improved and resolved on TryHackMe. Some Problems are really bad and Some Not.

PLAGIARISM

This Section is really relevant to TryHackMe because as you know that TryHackMe doesn’t only teach CyberSecurity, It also allows users to create their own virtual classrooms to teach particular topics, enabling them to become teachers Which is kind of Nice Thing. TryHackMe is not only provides other users with rich and varied content, but also helps creators reinforce their understanding of fundamental concepts. Their self contained virtual classrooms make things easy for users to focus on a particular area by aggregating the necessary information. But Some People are really Serious about making CTF Room on TryHackMe and They literally serious of copying the Individual CTF rooms and Even Flags from Other CTF Platforms Like VulnHub, HackTheBox. I noticed it When a Specific CTF Room was released on TryHackMe which I already Solved on VulnHub and the Interesting part is Even Flag are copied.

I know some of You people who are reading this article have the thought that “some people” made the CTF room and which are copied and You can’t blame TryHackMe for This. But It is Still on TryHackMe platform which is considered as TryHackMe’s responsibility to remove or They can declare that every CTF platforms CEO are Friends and can use their Content on their platforms without permission. Their declaration can clear the doubts of most of the users has. I mean, Even YouTube has copyrighted policy which can remove the video if the video is copyrighted.

SLOW WEBSITE

This Section is Actually a Late, Where TryHackMe already improves their Web Quality. TryHackMe’s Web used to be slow back then but Now in 2021 It Improves their Web and Not that Slow nowadays. TryHackMe is a Relatively New Company, so they are still in the process of creating custom VMs for learning purposes and more content is being released weekly and their newsletter gives users an insight to what’s being released on a weekly basis ahead of time. They want users to focus on the learning instead of spending time scouring the internet for resources.

EARLY WRITE-UP

That Section is Good and have to consider it. First of all, I’m clarifying that I’m not against the Write-ups. Even I used to Write the CTF Solutions and make the YouTube Video which can help anybody to solve the CTF in a easy and instructive way. Some Users put their Write-up Earlier of some CTF Room Which Makes Some Users to Go With The Write-up First if its available and Not Try Their Own Way to get CTF Solved. Its not gonna help anybody in CyberSecurity. You’ve Got to Make Thing Easier or Fair cause Practice is gonna be the best for You. That’s not a rocket science so find the exact way to get CTF solved. Its Up On You and Your Way. But if You’re a Beginner or Wanted to Learn or Get into the Cyber Security Then That is Quite Good platform for Practicing The CyberSecurity Thing Cause TryHackme is All About Learning and Practicing to Gain More Knowledge of CyberSecurity Whether You’re an Expert or Beginner (That Doesn’t Matter) Cause You Can learn through a virtual Room Structure to Understand Theoretical and Practical Security Elements.

I know Write-ups are usually help some users to solve the CTFs in a Instructive and Easy Way. Taking Help of write-up is good but Everytime is not Good. It keep you away from practicing by your own methods. So Practice CyberSecurity Tasks and It can Improves your cybersecurity Skills.

HYPOCRITICAL & DISCOURAGING DISCORD SERVER

This section is also relevant and should be consider. There are Discord Server available to discuss or get any type of help related to CTF from other users. If You’re on Discord Wanted to Get on TryHackMe’s Discord Server, Only Thing You’ve to do is — Check Out Discord Section on TryHackMe and Join it. But I don’t think that’s gonna help you and It’s just a waste of time. TryHackMe already has the Write-Up Feature which can help Users to solve CTF in Instructive and easy way. Joining TryHackMe’s Discord server raises question like —

Q : Why did anyone go for TryHackMe’s discord Server ?

A : They didn’t find the exact resource or answer on Internet and If write-up is available for the specific CTF then why did anyone go for Discord Server.

What’s Hypocritical about TryHackMe is their so called Overachiever Users. If Some Users solved any CTF Room earlier on TryHackMe that means those users already know the step to solve the Specific CTF and if some users haven’t solved it and user didn’t find any solution or help on internet and even write-up didn’t came yet and User came on discord and ask for help to solve the CTF and those User who already solved the CTF and Tell the other user the exact Step then Overachiever User stands on feet and shouting or heckle those users to not to do that because they think that giving the answer or hint of the answer to some users is not allowed. So tell me Only one Thing that Why The Hell is Write-Up section doing on TryHackMe or Hint Section for Specific CTF Rooms.

They’re literally discourage the new users and heckled the other users who came on TryHackMe for Learning the CyberSecurity Skills. That’s bad For business; TryHackMe.

DISAPPEARING OLD CTF ROOMS

This section is also an important one. So the problem is the TryHackMe removing some of the Old CTF rooms which is not so nice.

There are so many CTF Rooms which are removed and Locked and can’t have access to those CTF rooms Now.

CONCLUSION

I came on TryHackMe because of their User Friendly Platform Environment. For Me CTF is Game because I don’t play Video Games to Conqueror bot enemies but the Overall answer of the Article Title is — The Platform is no doubt a good CTF platform to learn CyberSecurity and have some problems to be Consider which have to Resolved to Make Things Much Better. I’m clarifying this again that It’s not Totally criticizing, I’m just pointing out some Problems from the Platform which should be resolved or improved. Its all about Making Things Good in a way to Getting Good into CyberSecurity because any extra practice is good preparation and Gives You A Good Knowledge. Its Not About Points, Its Not About Getting Things Done in Easy Way. Its About Knowledge Which Makes You Perfect and Expert whether Instructions are Available or Not ( That doesn’t matter). And The Fun Fact I Used “TRYHACKME” Word 33 Time in this article.