Guest Editor Introduction: Embedded Security Challenge

The Embedded security challenge (ESC) is the hardware security equivalent of what the Capture the Flag competition is for software security. It is the only student-run hardware hacking competition in the world, and has been an integral part of the Cyber Security Awareness Week (CSAW) held annually at New York University since 2008. CSAW began as a small, local competition with a handful of students in 2003 and since has grown to the largest student-run security event in the world, with about 20000 international participants competing for qualification to the final rounds of the event.