GMO Internet Group’s White-Hat Hackers Compete at DEF CON 33 to Showcase Japan’s Cybersecurity Excellence

LAS VEGAS--( BUSINESS WIRE )-- GMO Internet Group (TSE: 9449), a global leader in internet infrastructure and security headquartered in Tokyo, proudly announces that its top White-hat hackers from GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae and GMO Flatt Security will compete at DEF CON 33, one of the world’s premier cybersecurity conferences.

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Three elite teams will represent the Group:

• Blue Water is a multinational team competing in the DEF CON CTF Finals, having placed first globally in Plaid CTF 2025.
• GMO Ierae, aiming for a third consecutive victory in the Cloud Village CTF, is a leading vulnerability research team in Japan.
• GMO Flatt Security, which has several experts competing in the AppSec Village CTF, including last year's champion, Tsubasa Umeuchi, is a leading Japanese company in Web/cloud penetration testing and security AI.

GMO Internet Group views CTF competitions not merely as contests but as training grounds for real-world threat response. The Group supports participation to cultivate cybersecurity talent and strengthen its commitment to a safer internet.

“Participating in DEF CON allows us to sharpen our skills in high-stakes environments and bring advanced security insights back to society,” said Yuki Koike, CTO of GMO Cybersecurity by Ierae. “After finishing second last year, we’re aiming for the championship this time.”

Over the past two years, GMO’s teams have consistently ranked among the world’s best in global CTF competitions. Notable achievements include:

• 1st place at SECCON CTF 13 Finals (2025)
• 1st place at Hack the DRONE Finals (2024)
• 1st place at DEF CON 32 Cloud Village CTF (2024)
• 2nd place at Automotive CTF Global Finals (2024)
• 2nd place at DEF CON 32 CMD+CTRL Cyber Range (2024)
• 3rd place at HITCON CYBER RANGE (2024)
• 1st in Japan and 2nd worldwide at HTB Business CTF (2024)
• 1st in Japan and 2nd worldwide at LINE CTF (2024)

With over 1,100 employees involved in security across its group companies, GMO launched the cross-functional “GMO will protect your Internet Security” initiative in 2025 to accelerate innovation and awareness in cybersecurity.

• Learn more:
  https://gmo-cybersecurity.com/
  https://flatt.tech/en/
  https://group.gmo

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