CyberKushti 2026: National Cybersecurity Hackathon to Bring Together Emerging Cyber Talent

CyberKushti 2026 is designed around the themes of AI and Cybersecurity, providing students, independent researchers and working professionals an opportunity to test their reasoning and thinking capabilities through a series of progressively challenging rounds. Participation is open to three-member teams, with registrations closing on September 10, 2026.

The first stage, titled “The Akhada,” is scheduled for September 15 and will challenge participants to identify false positives during a six-hour online challenge. The top 50 teams will advance to the next stage.

The second stage, “The Dangal,” will be conducted online on September 24. Participants will be challenged to build the correct cybersecurity kill chain within an eight-hour competition, following which the top 10 teams will qualify for the final round.

The final stage, “The Kesari,” is scheduled to take place in New Delhi on October 9. The finalists will compete in person to build the best virtual patch for zero-days during a full-day challenge at NCCDFI 2026. The winners will be announced during the NCCDFI 2026 closing session on October 10.

The competition will award the winner the title “Cyber Kesari 2026”, along with a traditional gada (mace) presented on stage during the NCCDFI 2026 valedictory session. The runners-up will receive the titles “Rustam” and “Pahalwan.” The hackathon also features cash prizes totalling ₹2.5 lakh, along with certificates, scorecards and NSD recognition credits. The response to CyberKushti 2026 has been phenomenal, with over 600 teams already registered for the national-level cybersecurity hackathon.

Recognition will extend beyond the top three teams. All Round 1 participants will receive a certificate of participation and an individual scorecard, while teams progressing beyond Round 1 will receive National Security Database recognition credits. The ISAC Foundation is responsible for the technical execution of the hackathon, including designing the technical challenges, structuring the competition levels, developing the evaluation framework and constituting the jury responsible for assessing the participating teams.

The organisers are particularly encouraging participation from women and individuals from rural and underserved areas, with the aim of making the competition accessible to a diverse pool of cybersecurity talent. Companies, educational institutions, professional networks and cybersecurity communities are also being encouraged to share the opportunity with their teams, students and members.

Registrations are free and close on September 10, 2026.