Ethical Conduct
I will consider the ethical and legal implications of my online actions every time I participate in the 2025 Social Engineering Competition (henceforward SEC).
I will only follow the specific instructions for the 2025 SEC, and not go beyond the scope of what is asked. I will not use any unethical means to compete; social engineering anyone outside the scope of this competition is unacceptable and is grounds for disqualification and/or a penalty assigned to the appropriate team. If I have any uncertainties, I will check with the organizers first.
Responsible Use of (Gen)AI
As a participant in the 2025 SEC, I understand that the use of generative AI (Gen AI) is encouraged to foster innovation and creativity. I agree to use Gen AI responsibly and ethically by adhering to the following guidelines:
- Transparency: I will disclose when and how I use generative AI tools in my strategies or submissions, including identifying which elements were created, supported, or enhanced by AI.
- Ethical Usage: I will not use AI to create misleading, harmful, or inappropriate content, including but not limited to misinformation, harassment, or deceptive communications that violate the principles of the competition.
- Privacy and Consent: I will not use AI tools to generate content involving personal or sensitive information about real individuals without their explicit consent.
- Prohibited Applications: I will not use AI tools to simulate, mimic, or impersonate individuals or organizations in a manner that could cause harm, confusion, or reputational damage.
- Compliance with Competition Rules: I will ensure that my use of Gen AI aligns with all other competition rules and guidelines. I understand that AI-generated content undermining the fairness or spirit of the competition will result in penalties, including disqualification.
- Respect for AI Tools: I will not attempt to manipulate or exploit Gen AI tools in ways that violate their ethical use policies, such as bypassing restrictions or generating prohibited content.
- Adherence to Institutional Policies: I will respect and follow my institution of learning’s policies regarding the responsible use of AI. I understand that any violation of my institution’s policies or this code of conduct is solely my responsibility. I agree that the competition organizer and their institution will not be held liable for any breaches of these policies or violations of this code of conduct on my part.
Cheating
I will not conduct, nor will I condone, any actions that attack, hack, penetrate, or interfere with another team’s or individual’s computer system, nor will I use the skills I learn in this competition to develop hacking or other offensive skills.
I will not tamper with, modify, or attempt to manipulate any element of the competition or scoring systems.
Teams must compete without “outside assistance” from non-team members including advisors/mentors from the start of the competition to the end of the competition (including overnight hours for multi-day events). All private communications (calls, emails, chat, texting, directed emails, forum postings, conversations, requests for assistance, etc.) with non-team members that would help the team gain an unfair advantage are not allowed and are grounds for disqualification and/or a penalty assigned to the appropriate team.
Harassment
We believe that every single person has the right to participate in a safe and welcoming environment that fosters open dialogue and the free expression of ideas, free of harassment, discrimination, and hostile conduct. We recognize a shared responsibility to create and maintain that environment for the benefit of all.
Harassment may include, but is not limited to, offensive verbal or written comments related to gender, age, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, sexual images in public spaces, deliberate intimidation, stalking, following, harassing photography or recording, sustained disruption of talks or other events, inappropriate physical contact, and unwelcome sexual attention.
We have ZERO TOLERANCE for physical/verbal/sexual harassment of anyone. If you are having an issue with any conference participant, please email care@temple.edu, who will take an official incident report and determine next steps. Please note the competition staff reserves the right to determine what constitutes harassment and may take any action they deem appropriate, including warning the offender or expulsion from the competition with no eligibility for reimbursement or refund of any type.
I will not participate in or condone cyber-bullying which includes such behaviors as teasing, threatening, intimidating, humiliating, sexual harassment, racial harassment, and stalking.
I will not attempt to deceive, hoax, or “prank” other teams by forwarding or posting erroneous or deceptive information on the Internet, by email, or on social networking sites.
General Conduct
Do not record or take any photos/videos or the like of any attendees, speakers, judges, participants, organizers, or vendors without explicit permission of everyone who will be in the photo/video/recording. Keep in mind people that may be in the background of photos/recordings as well.
I will not share information about the competition software, tasks, questions, techniques, or answers on any website, blog, forum, social media platform, or other communication means for any period of time during and after the completion of the 2025 SEC.
I will not use any information about the competition software, tasks, questions, techniques, or answers for any of my assignments, research, publications, conferences, or any other form of dissemination at any period of time during and after the completion of the 2025 SEC.
I will not visit inappropriate websites while preparing for or participating in the 2025 SEC.
Signature
I will strive to use my participation in the 2025 SEC to further my understanding of cybersecurity.
I understand that violation of this code of conduct is grounds for my immediate dismissal from my team and the disqualification of my team from the 2025 SEC.
