TLN Cybersecurity Challenge 2026
Technology is evolving quickly, and so are the threats that come with it.
The TLN Cybersecurity Challenge 2026 is a hackathon hosted by Tech Literacy Network where participants will use cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and technology to build solutions to real-world problems.
Whether you're interested in cybersecurity, AI, software development, privacy, or problem-solving, this challenge is an opportunity to turn an idea into a working project.
The Challenge
Build a technology-based solution that addresses a problem related to cybersecurity, online safety, or digital security.
You can use AI as a core part of your project, use it to enhance an existing cybersecurity solution, or build a solution that addresses an emerging threat created by AI.
Some areas you could explore include:
- AI-powered cybersecurity
- Phishing and scam detection
- Online privacy and data protection
- Cyberbullying and online safety
- Any other cybersecurity-related problem you want to tackle
You don't need to build the next major cybersecurity platform. We care more about the problem you're solving, how you approach it, and the impact your solution could have.
Why Participate?
You'll have the opportunity to:
- Build a project from an idea
- Explore AI and cybersecurity
- Work with other students and developers
- Showcase your project
- Receive feedback from judges
Projects will be evaluated based on their idea, technical implementation, creativity, cybersecurity relevance, and potential impact.
Requirements
Submission Requirements
Each team or individual must submit the following:
1. Build a Cybersecurity Solution
Create a working prototype or demonstration that addresses a clear, real-world problem related to:
- Cybersecurity
- Online safety
- Privacy and data protection
- Digital security
Your project should demonstrate a meaningful attempt to solve the problem, whether through a web application, mobile application, software tool, prototype, or other technology-based solution.
2. Devpost Project Submission
Your Devpost submission must include:
- Project Name - The name of your project.
- Project Description - Briefly explain what you built and why.
- Technologies Used - List the programming languages, frameworks, APIs, tools, and other technologies used.
3. Project Demo
Where possible, provide a link that allows judges to explore or test your project.
This could be:
- Live website
- Working application
- GitHub repository
- Prototype
If your project cannot be hosted or made publicly accessible, you can demonstrate it through your submission video instead.
4. Demo Video
Submit a video under 5 minutes that demonstrates your project and clearly explains:
- The Problem - What cybersecurity issue are you addressing?
- Your Solution - What did you build?
- How It Works - Demonstrate the key features.
- Technology - What technologies did you use?
- Impact - Who could benefit from your solution and how?
5. AI & External Tools Disclosure
AI tools and other external resources are allowed during the hackathon. However, participants must disclose any significant use of AI tools in their project.
Briefly explain:
- Which AI tools were used
- How they were used
Participants are responsible for understanding their submitted work and should be able to explain their code, design decisions, and overall solution.
Prizes
Grand Prize
Each member of the Grand Prize-winning team will receive an SSOJet license, valued at $1,188/year per participant, for a total prize value of $4,752/year. Winners will receive production-grade enterprise SSO infrastructure, including SAML/OIDC integrations, team management, and MCP authentication support.
Each member of the Grand Prize-winning team will also recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
1st Place
Each member of the 1st-place team will recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Each member of the 1st-place team will also receive 1 year of DevSwarm Pro, valued at $96 per participant, for a total prize value of $384.
2nd Place
Each member of the 2nd-place team will recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Each member of the 2nd-place team will also receive a $25 AoPS coupon, for a total prize value of $100.
3rd Place
Each member of the 3rd-place team will recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Each member of the 3rd-place team will also receive a free .xyz domain for one year, valued at $15 per member for upto $60 for a project.
Best Cybersecurity Solution
Each member of the Best Cybersecurity Solution team will recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Each member of the Best Cybersecurity Solution team will receive a free .xyz domain for one year, valued at $15 per member for upto $60 for a project.
Best Beginner Project
Each member of the Best Beginner Project team will recieve $1000 in Adaption Platform credits, for a total prize value of $4,000. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Each member of the Best Beginner Project team will receive a free .xyz domain for one year, valued at $15 per member for upto $60 for a project.
All Participants
Every participant will receive $500 in Adaption Platform credits. This is a meaningful amount and enough to generate and augment data sets, including multilingual data across 242 languages, and train custom models.
Every participant will also recieve 1 month of DevSwarm Pro, valued at $8 per participant, to support them during the hackathon.
Devpost Achievements
Submitting to this hackathon could earn you:
Judges
Gurnoor Kaur
Founder & Executive Director @ Tech Literacy Network
Naveen Goel
Senior Technical Program Manager @ Amazon
Aatishkumar Dhami
Founding Engineer @ StyleFrame AI
Aishwarya Nair
Senior Data Engineer @ Amazon
Alina Olefirenko
Co-Founder & CTO @ AlpacaRelay
Sai Prasad Saladi
Senior Software Engineer @ U.S. Bank
Udaya Bhaskar Vemuri
Senior Application Security Analyst @ Corteva Agriscience
Urvish Gajjar
Sr. Test Manager @ Health Care Service Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield), USA
Jakub Krehel
Founding Design Engineer @ Interfere
Zeeshan Ali
KMP Mobile App Developer
Judging Criteria
-
Impact & Relevance
How effectively does the project address a real-world cybersecurity problem, and how meaningful could its impact be? -
Technical Implementation
How well does the project work, and how effectively does it use technology to solve the problem? -
Innovation & Creativity
How original is the idea, and does it demonstrate creative problem-solving? -
User Experience & Design
How intuitive, accessible, and practical is the solution for its intended users? -
Presentation & Demo
How clearly does the team explain the problem, solution, technical decisions, and demonstrate their project?
Questions? Email the hackathon manager
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