UTT.TEMPEST Advances to the Final Round of the 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition

After successfully completing the Preliminary Round of the 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition, UTT.TEMPEST - a team from the Faculty of Information Technology, University of Transport Technology (UTT) - has secured a place in the Final Round, marking a positive achievement in its first participation in the competition.

Overview of the Opening Ceremony of the Preliminary Round of the 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition

The Preliminary Round was held online on 25 September, bringing together 334 teams, including 294 teams from 52 universities and colleges in Vietnam and 40 teams from universities across ASEAN countries. During eight consecutive hours of competition, the teams tackled a range of challenges requiring specialised knowledge, analytical thinking, practical skills and teamwork.

Delegates at the Opening Ceremony of the Preliminary Round of the 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition

This year, the Faculty of Information Technology, University of Transport Technology, entered two teams: UTT.TEMPEST and HEX1337. At the end of the Preliminary Round, the two teams captured a total of 33 flags. UTT.TEMPEST captured 17 flags and secured a place in the Final Round, while HEX1337 captured 16 flags, an encouraging result in its first participation in the competition.

UTT.TEMPEST and HEX1337, the two teams from the University of Transport Technology, participating in the competition

The Preliminary Round followed the Jeopardy format and consisted of six categories: Pwnable, Reverse Engineering, Web, Crypto/ACM, Forensic and AI/IoT. The challenges focused on assessing participants’ analytical, programming and practical skills, as well as their ability to address technical problems in the field of cybersecurity.

With the theme “Protecting Critical Infrastructure in the AI Era”, the 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition aims to identify, nurture and develop young talent in cybersecurity, while providing an environment for students to apply their knowledge, sharpen their skills and enhance their ability to handle real-world situations.

UTT.TEMPEST and HEX1337 together with their supervising lecturers from the University of Transport Technology

According to the schedule, the Final Round will take place on 16 October 2026 and will be divided into two groups. Group A will comprise 20 teams representing the 20 universities with the highest results in the Preliminary Round, with one team from each university, competing in the Attack-Defense format. Group B will be for universities without a representative in Group A, with the highest-ranked team from the Preliminary Round selected from each university to continue competing in the Jeopardy format. Each university may have only one team participating in the Final Round in either of the two groups.

Notably, the results of Vietnamese teams in Group A will also serve as a basis for the National Cybersecurity Association to consider nominating Vietnamese representatives to participate in regional and international cybersecurity competitions such as Cyber SEAGame and ASEAN Cyber Shield. Members of high-performing Vietnamese teams may also have opportunities to be introduced to agencies, organisations and enterprises seeking high-quality cybersecurity professionals.

The 2026 Student Cybersecurity Competition is organised under the leadership of the National Cybersecurity Association (NCA). UTT.TEMPEST’s qualification for the Final Round in its first participation is a noteworthy achievement, while also providing further motivation for UTT students to continue learning, gaining practical experience and strengthening their professional capabilities in information security and cybersecurity.

Best wishes to UTT.TEMPEST as the team continues its preparations, strengthens its teamwork and strives for strong results in the upcoming Final Round.

University of Transport Technology