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Students

If you are a student between 16 and 24 years old, you can participate in CyberChallenge.IT. Registration will open on November 3, 2025, and close on January 25, 2026. Teams will be formed through two tests, both held on the same day, in person at the university where you registered.
  • The first test will take place on the morning of January 28, 2026, and serves as an initial selection
  • The second test, reserved for participants selected by the morning test, will take place on the afternoon of January 28, 2026, and serves as a team formation

Why Participate

Among the most relevant aspects as a return for students participating in the program are:
  • In-depth study of cybersecurity topics
  • A training path, recognized in terms of training credits by many Universities and High Schools in the country
  • Access to a wide range of educational material, prepared and reviewed by experts, all in English
  • Meeting with public and private actors in the national cybersecurity landscape
The 2026 edition, like the previous ones, will offer training courses and will culminate in the ninth Italian Capture-The-Flag cybersecurity championship, allowing the formation of the National Cyberdefender Team that will participate in the European Cybersecurity Challenge.
Discover the Project
Discover the Training Material

FAQFAQ

Is there a cost to participate?
No, participation for students is completely free.
Can anyone participate?
Yes, anyone can participate, as long as they were born in the years 2001-2009 and pass the admission test. It is not mandatory to be high school or university students.
Can I participate in multiple editions of CyberChallenge.IT?
A university student who has been admitted to a past edition of CyberChallenge.IT as a high school student can repeat the registration process and, if selected, participate a second time.
What do the lessons consist of, and on which days are they held?
The lessons take place between February and May 2026. Each week includes 2 hours of theoretical lessons on the essentials of cybersecurity and 4 hours of training to solve typical Capture-the-Flag (CTF) competition exercises. The courses are held in Italian, the schedule varies depending on the venue and will be indicated on the dedicated page for each venue.
Are previous knowledge in cybersecurity required?
No, the only requirements are excellent logical, problem-solving, and programming skills, as well as ease of reading/listening in English.
What do I need to do to participate?
Register from November 3, 2025, to January 25, 2026, through this online form, indicating the venue where you would like to attend the courses. Registration will create your personal profile, and you can take the admission test.
How does the admission test work?
On the morning of Wednesday, January 28, 2026, a test based on logic, problem-solving, and programming quizzes will be held at the university where you enrolled. The top finishers from each campus will be admitted to the programming test, which will be held that afternoon.
What should I do to prepare for the admission test?
Practice solving programming problems, problem-solving, take logic quizzes, and practice reading/listening in English. For more information, refer to the tests from previous years.
How many participants can be admitted to each venue?
At most 20 for each venue, plus any 5 reserves who can take over in case of withdrawal of an admitted participant.
Do I need a laptop to attend the lessons?
Yes, each participant must have their laptop to attend the lessons. The laptop must have sufficient memory to run virtualized environments (e.g., VirtualBox, etc.).
Can I attend CyberChallenge.IT lessons even if I am not admitted?
Unfortunately, no, there is limited space, and only those admitted can attend the lessons at the venues.
What happens if I miss some lessons?
Missing a few lessons, although a missed opportunity to learn, is generally not a problem. However, after three consecutive missed lessons, you will be considered a dropout and will not be able to participate in the final competitions.
None of the CyberChallenge.IT venues is close enough to where I live to allow me to attend. What can I do?
Send us a message in the contact section of this website suggesting a university venue near you where you would like the CyberChallenge.IT program to be activated. We will contact you if this happens in the future.
Why should I participate?
  1. You will gain hands-on experience in a very practical environment, in a young, welcoming, and informal setting.
  2. Participating can be the first step towards an exciting career in cybersecurity.
  3. You will come into contact with industry experts.
  4. You will be part of a team of smart and motivated students.
  5. You will have the opportunity to compete for participation in the .
  6. The legendary CyberChallenge.IT T-shirt will be yours.
  7. Plus, participation is free!