Standoff 365

Standoff 365 is a Russian cybersecurity platform developed by Positive Technologies that brings together ethical hackers and organizations seeking to test and strengthen their cyber defenses. Launched in 2021, the platform provides a controlled environment where white hat researchers legally attack simulated IT systems of virtual companies, while security teams investigate incidents and track attacker movements. The platform encompasses several core services: Cyber Stress Testing (simulating attacks to assess business resilience), Bug Bounty programs (rewarding researchers for validated vulnerability reports), Cyberbattle (a global cybersecurity competition), Hackbase (hands-on training for white hats), Defend (business defense training), and Cyberdrills (security team maturity assessment). The platform's origins trace back to the Standoff cyberbattle, which first appeared in 2016 as an evolution of student CTF competitions held at the Positive Hack Days forum from 2011 to 2015. The cyberbattle gained international recognition, with the first overseas event taking place in Abu Dhabi in October 2019. In November 2020, the first global online cyber exercises were held in Moscow, setting a Russian record as the most massive cyber competition with 250 participants. The Standoff 365 platform itself was launched on July 18, 2022, integrating the cyber polygon and bug bounty capabilities into a unified online service. Standoff 365 serves over 110 companies that have signed up for cyber stress tests and more than 2,500 researchers ready to test company defenses. The platform has paid out significant rewards, with Positive Technologies offering ₽60 million, Innostage ₽20 million, and other companies like T-Bank and Rambler&Co participating. Researchers can earn up to ₽60 million for demonstrating a non-tolerable event. The platform continues to operate as a key part of Positive Technologies' ecosystem, promoting ethical hacking and cyber resilience across industries including energy, oil, metallurgy, banking, transport, logistics, and utilities.

The history of Standoff 365 is closely tied to the Standoff cyberbattle, which originated from student CTF competitions held at the Positive Hack Days forum between 2011 and 2015. These competitions used tasks based on real vulnerabilities and attack vectors gathered from practical security assessments. In 2016, the Standoff cyberbattle was established as a distinct event, bringing together security operations center (SOC) teams to practice monitoring, incident investigation, and attack repelling. In October 2019, Standoff held its first international event outside Russia, with a cyber polygon deployed in Abu Dhabi, UAE, where over 60 cybersecurity specialists from various countries participated. The first global online cyber exercises took place in Moscow from November 12–17, 2020, marking a significant milestone. These exercises were recognized by the Russian Book of Records as the most massive cyber competition with 250 participants. Since then, the cyberbattle has been held twice a year in Moscow: in autumn as a standalone competition and in spring as part of the Positive Hack Days international cybersecurity forum. The Standoff 365 platform was officially launched on July 18, 2022, integrating the cyber polygon and bug bounty capabilities into a unified online service. The Bug Bounty component was first presented on May 18, 2022, at the Positive Hack Days forum. The platform allows companies to host bug bounty programs and review reports from external security researchers, while researchers earn rewards for discovering vulnerabilities and demonstrating non-tolerable events. By November 2021, the platform had registered over 3,400 security researchers from different countries, and more than 30 defender teams had participated in cyber exercises since 2016. The platform has continued to grow, with over 110 companies signing up for cyber stress tests and more than 2,500 researchers ready to test company defenses. Major companies like Positive Technologies, Innostage, T-Bank, and Rambler&Co have participated, offering rewards ranging from ₽3 million to ₽60 million. The platform remains a key part of Positive Technologies' efforts to promote ethical hacking and improve cyber resilience across various industries.

• 2022

  Standoff 365 Bug Bounty first presented on May 18 at Positive Hack Days; platform launched on July 18.

• 2021

  By November, over 3,400 security researchers registered on the platform.

• 2020

  First global online cyber exercises held in Moscow from November 12–17; recognized as most massive cyber competition with 250 participants.

• 2019

  First international Standoff cyberbattle held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, with over 60 specialists.

• 2016

  Standoff cyberbattle established as a distinct event for SOC teams.

• 2011

  Student CTF competitions PHDays CTF begin at Positive Hack Days forum.

A cyber resilience platform that unites ethical hackers and businesses to test defenses under realistic conditions, paying only for validated results.

• Cyber Stress Testing

  Researchers launch attacks to safely simulate events that would not be tolerable for business operations, helping organizations assess cyber resilience in realistic conditions.

• Bug Bounty

  Vulnerability discovery programs where ethical hackers earn rewards only for validated reports showing attack chains leading to non-tolerable events.

• Cyberbattle

  A global cybersecurity competition where red teams attack and blue teams defend virtual company infrastructures.

• Hackbase

  Hands-on experience for white hats.

• Defend

  Business defense training.

• Cyberdrills

  Security team maturity assessment.

1. 1Standoff 365 official websitestandoff365.com
2. 2Standoff 365 on Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Standoff 365 on Russian Wikipediaru.wikipedia.org