These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your access to and participation in the OSMOSIS Association’s online Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT) Capture The Flag (CTF) events hosted at osmosis.ctfd.io (the “Event” or “CTF”). The Event is organized by OSMOSIS Institute, LLC, dba OSMOSIS Association (“OSMOSIS,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a New Jersey entity dedicated to professionalizing OSINT through ethical standards, education, and community.

By registering for an account, accessing the platform, or participating in any challenge, you (“Participant,” “you,” or “your”) agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not participate.

  1. EligibilityYou must be at least 18 years of age.

Participation is open to individuals worldwide, subject to applicable local laws.

You must have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

OSMOSIS membership is encouraged but not required for participation (prize eligibility may be restricted to members in some events—check event-specific announcements).

  1. Account Registration and Security You may create only one account per person. Multiple accounts, shared accounts, or account sharing is prohibited.

Provide accurate information during registration.

You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials and for all activity under your account.

Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use.

  1. Core Rules of Participation & Fair Play Solve challenges using only legal, ethical, and passive OSINT methods.
    All techniques must be appropriate for real-world professional investigations. If a method would be unethical, illegal, or inappropriate in a genuine investigation, it is prohibited here.

No unauthorized access: Do not attempt to hack, compromise, scan, or gain unauthorized access to any systems, accounts, services, websites, or devices (including the CTFd platform itself, challenge infrastructure, or third-party sites).

Do not contact, message, call, email, or otherwise interact with any real individuals or organizations mentioned in challenges unless the challenge explicitly and clearly permits it (this is extremely rare).
Stay strictly within the published scope of each challenge.

Do not use automated tools in a way that could disrupt services or violate terms of third-party platforms.
Flags and solutions obtained through cheating, flag sharing during the live event, collusion beyond allowed collaboration, or technical exploits of the platform will result in disqualification.

  1. Collaboration Policy Individual registration is required.
    Collaboration and discussion with other participants is generally allowed (unless an event announcement states otherwise).

You may work together in Discord or other channels, but each participant must submit their own flags under their own account.

Sharing full solutions or flags publicly while the CTF is live is prohibited.

  1. Write-ups and Spoilers Do not publish detailed write-ups, solutions, or spoilers while the CTF is active.
    After the official end of the event, write-ups are encouraged. Always include clear spoiler warnings.

  2. Prohibited Conduct You agree not to:
    Engage in any illegal activity.
    Harass, threaten, dox, or discriminate against other participants, organizers, or third parties.
    Attempt to disrupt the CTF platform, scoring system, or other participants’ experience.
    Use bots, scripts, or automation that abuse rate limits or the platform.
    Submit false or misleading information.
    Impersonate others.
    Violate any applicable laws, including data protection and privacy laws.
    Use the Event for any commercial purpose without prior written permission.

  3. Intellectual Property All challenges, flags, scenarios, images, text, and materials on the platform are the intellectual property of OSMOSIS Association or its licensors.

You may not copy, distribute, or reuse challenge content outside of legitimate participation without permission.

By submitting write-ups or feedback, you grant OSMOSIS a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use them for educational and promotional purposes (with attribution where appropriate).

  1. Prizes and Recognition Prizes (if any) are described in event-specific announcements.
    Prizes are non-transferable.

OSMOSIS reserves the right to verify eligibility, require membership for certain prizes, and withhold prizes in cases of rule violations.

In the event of a tie, the earliest correct submission usually prevails (unless otherwise stated).

  1. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability The CTF is provided “as is” for educational and community purposes.
    OSMOSIS makes no warranties regarding availability, accuracy of challenges, or uninterrupted access.
    Participation is at your own risk. You are solely responsible for ensuring your OSINT activities comply with all applicable laws in your jurisdiction.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, OSMOSIS, its officers, directors, volunteers, and partners shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your participation.

  1. Privacy We collect account information and participation data as needed to run the Event.
    Data is handled in accordance with our general privacy practices and applicable law.
    Scoreboards and usernames may be publicly visible.

  2. Enforcement and Disqualification OSMOSIS reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to:
    Investigate suspected violations.
    Disqualify participants.
    Remove accounts.
    Ban individuals from future events.
    Take any other action deemed necessary to protect the integrity of the Event and the community.

Decisions by OSMOSIS organizers are final.

  1. ModificationsWe may update these Terms at any time. Continued participation after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms. Material changes will be announced on the platform or via Discord when possible.

  2. Governing LawThese Terms are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

  3. ContactFor questions, reports of violations, or concerns related to the CTF: Prefer the official OSMOSIS Discord (CTF channel) when available. Or contact OSMOSIS Association via the contact methods listed on osmosisassociation.org.

Address for formal notices: OSMOSIS Association 593 Ringwood Avenue Wanaque, NJ 07465 United States

By participating, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to these Terms, and that you will conduct all OSINT activities in a professional, ethical, and lawful manner consistent with OSMOSIS values and the spirit of “OSINT for Good.”