Qualifying Round 6 - 7 Nov, 2026

Final Round 7 Jan, 2027

CTF

Capture
The Flag
Challenge 2026

"HKCERT Capture The Flag 2026," organised by the Digital Policy Office (DPO), the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) is now in its sixth edition. It is one of the largest cybersecurity contests in Hong Kong, featuring four categories: Secondary School, Tertiary, Open, and International.

In addition to the contest, the event includes various workshops and sharing sessions. Through these TechEd (technology education) activities, students can learn skills such as programming, cryptography, and digital forensics, fostering creative thinking and preparing them for the future. Industry professionals can also use this opportunity to test their skills, train their cybersecurity teams and connect with ethical hacker communities worldwide, delving deeper into cybersecurity to become experts in the field.

Last year, the contest attracted over a thousand participants and received widespread acclaim. This year, new formats have been introduced, promising an even more exciting and intense experience.

What is CTF?

In recent years, cybersecurity has become one of the most prominent and talent-scarce fields in the information technology sector. Offensive and defensive cybersecurity, in particular, will be a key future demand for industry professionals. This has led to the rise of positions such as "Penetration Tester," "Ethical Hacker," and "Red Team and Blue Team Operator." These roles require a deep understanding of hands-on technical skill such as programming, cryptography, application systems’ security, reverse engineering, and etc. The mindset and techniques akin to those of hackers will also be the elements in order to quickly identify and remediate security vulnerabilities.

Capture The Flag (CTF) contests are designed to train these specific skills and mindsets. Participants must find hidden vulnerabilities in a simulated environment based on real systems to break through security defences. Upon success, they capture "flags" and earn points. Such contests are held worldwide to enhance security techniques, with some even featuring global rankings to compete for the title of the best in the world.

2026