First-Ever Assault-Defence Simulation Aligns with Actual Company Wants Setting a New Benchmark for Native Cybersecurity Competitions
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 February 2026 – As cyberattacks develop more and more complicated, cybersecurity has develop into a essential area of worldwide concern and a expertise scarcity. Based on the most recent “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026” launched by the Hong Kong Pc Emergency Response Crew Coordination Centre (HKCERT) below the Hong Kong Productiveness Council (HKPC), almost 30% of the 622 surveyed enterprises nonetheless lack devoted cybersecurity workers. Particularly, solely 26% of SMEs have a devoted cybersecurity position, considerably decrease than the 59% of enormous enterprises, reflecting a niche in useful resource allocation and expertise adoption amongst SMEs.
Now in its sixth yr, “HKCERT Seize The Flag Problem” continues to draw prime cybersecurity skills from Hong Kong and past, showcasing the potential and vitality of the subsequent technology of native and worldwide cybersecurity professionals.
To domesticate sensible expertise for the cybersecurity sector, the sixth “HKCERT Seize The Flag Problem 2025” (HKCERT CTF Problem) was efficiently organised by the Digital Coverage Workplace (DPO), HKPC, and HKCERT. This yr’s competitors was elevated to the first-ever adoption of an assault–defence mode, intently replicating the community setup of actual enterprises. Members skilled first-hand hacking strategies, system vulnerability evaluation, risk intelligence gathering, and coordinated response in a simulated real-world atmosphere. By means of finishing a number of duties inside a restricted time, the competitors additionally allowed them to interrupt by the standard classroom theoretical framework, acquire sensible expertise and construct confidence. The occasion attracted round 1,940 younger contestants, a rise of almost 40% from final yr’s 1,385 individuals, reaching a document excessive for the competitors. Contestants included groups from Hong Kong, Chinese language Mainland, Asia, and Europe, fostering cross-regional trade and collaboration. Within the finals, three native groups and one abroad staff had been awarded gold prizes within the Secondary Faculty, Tertiary Establishment, Open Class, and Worldwide Class respectively, whereas Sing Yin Secondary Faculty obtained the “Greatest Faculty Award”. The total checklist of awardees is on the market on the occasion web site.
Members Share Sensible Expertise Integrating AI into Assault and Defence
The competitors was effectively obtained by contestants for its progressive format and real looking offensive and defensive atmosphere, providing a precious platform for studying and trade. The profitable staff within the Worldwide Class, W&M, commented, “Our members are from Shanxi, Guangdong and Beijing. This was our first time competing collectively within the HKCERT CTF Problem. The environment and expertise of the finals had been wonderful. The duties had been centred on an assault‑defence simulation, requiring us to seek out all vulnerabilities whereas patching our personal techniques and attacking different groups on the similar time. Some vulnerabilities had been found and exploited by different groups first, which stored the scores very shut and made the competitors extremely tense and thrilling”.
They added, “Throughout the competitors, we additionally utilized a lot of AI strategies for help, akin to making use of AI to analyse vulnerabilities and refine assault strategies. Sooner or later, AI might play a deeper position in areas like vulnerability detection and code evaluation, however for now it can’t be absolutely relied upon—human oversight continues to be important”.
HKCERT CTF Problem has now been held for six consecutive years, with its scale increasing yearly and individuals exhibiting steady development. Many secondary faculty college students acquire their first fingers‑on publicity to cybersecurity by the competitors and join with college mentors, serving to them form their educational and profession paths. A number of previous individuals have gone on to compete in native and worldwide occasions, committing to a future within the cybersecurity discipline. Past attracting abroad expertise to trade concepts in Hong Kong, HKCERT continues to construct connections between cybersecurity professionals in Hong Kong and Chinese language Mainland. Prime‑performing groups can acquire direct entry into equal finals in Chinese language Mainland. For instance, individuals from the earlier HKCERT CTF Problem 2024 superior on to the finals of the “Better Bay Space Cup Cybersecurity Problem”, the place they secured the highest 4 locations within the Hong Kong and Macao class. This additionally supplied native contestants with entry to world‑class cybersecurity strategies, successfully selling cross‑regional elite collaboration and expertise improvement.
Finals Format Upgraded: Assault-Defence Mode Mirrors Actual Enterprise Operations
The finals had been comprehensively upgraded this yr. Along with enhance the general technical problem, the competitors launched an assault‑defence format for the primary time that intently mirrors actual enterprise cybersecurity operations. Groups performed twin roles—each attackers and defenders—in an atmosphere created on the subject of the real-world techniques. The duties simulated incident response and stay attack-defence situations generally encountered within the cybersecurity discipline. Inside a restricted timeframe, individuals needed to do penetration testing, exploit vulnerabilities and assault, whereas patching their very own techniques and monitoring threats in actual time towards assaults from different groups. This parallel assault‑defence setup displays precise workflow patterns within the trade, successfully coaching individuals’ analytical skills and flexibility below stress. By means of fingers‑on follow in a possible enterprise atmosphere, contestants developed multifaceted, trade‑aligned capabilities—laying a stable basis for his or her future careers in cybersecurity.
Ms Sweet CHAN, Assistant Commissioner (Challenge Governance and Cybersecurity) of the DPO, highlighted the DPO’s dedication to enhancing Hong Kong’s cyber resilience, with one among its key initiatives being the nurturing of the subsequent technology of cybersecurity professionals. She emphasised that the DPO has been collaborating intently with academia and trade companions to foster a strong expertise pipeline and construct a safer digital atmosphere in Hong Kong. She famous that this yr marks the sixth version of the HKCERT CTF Problem, which has grown into one among Hong Kong’s most revered and anticipated cybersecurity competitions over time. Past being a contest of technical prowess, the Problem serves as a dynamic platform for networking, data trade and neighborhood constructing among the many new technology of cybersecurity consultants.
Ir Samson SUEN, Common Supervisor of Digital Belief and Transformation Division of HKPC, acknowledged, “HKCERT CTF Problem has persistently aimed to construct a world platform for technical trade. By means of high-intensity simulated contests, we improve individuals’ cyber defence abilities and promote cross-regional interplay amongst rising cybersecurity skills. This cultivates a brand new technology of worldwide aggressive professionals in Hong Kong and strengthens the native expertise pipeline. This yr’s finals first launched a simulation of real-world cybersecurity operations, enabling groups to expertise each offensive and defensive roles in a latest cybersecurity staff. This hands-on method is essential for growing sensible abilities and incident response capabilities”.
Fostering Cybersecurity Consciousness Throughout All Sectors of Society
To additional improve cybersecurity consciousness throughout the neighborhood, HKCERT has partnered with the DPO and the Cyber Safety and Expertise Crime Bureau of The Hong Kong Police Power, to launch the “Constructing a Safe Our on-line world 2026” marketing campaign to advertise cybersecurity consciousness. The initiative contains varied academic actions, akin to an “AI-Generated 4-Panel Comedian”contest, which inspires the general public to make good use of AI instruments whereas strengthening their understanding of cybersecurity. On the company governance stage, HKCERT will publish a sequence of sensible pointers addressing rising dangers —akin to AI functions and provide chain safety—highlighted within the “Hong Kong Cybersecurity Outlook 2026”, to assist enterprise in establishing a strong safety framework. Specifically for AI governance, the rules will provide actionable suggestions protecting AI system safety assessments, compliance guidelines for workers utilizing public AI platforms, controls over delicate information enter, and strategies for monitoring and defending towards AI‑assisted assaults. These assets purpose to assist enterprises systematically improve their cyber resilience throughout governance, expertise, and consciousness.
As Hong Kong accelerates the event of innovation and expertise and advances its digital financial system, strengthening cyber defence capabilities has develop into a key expertise want. HKCERT will proceed to assist companies and the general public by incident response, safety steerage, and cybersecurity consciousness programmes. The HKCERT CTF Problem continues to play an important position in nurturing native expertise, fostering cross-regional collaboration, and advancing public training. By enhancing the general stage of safety, the competitors contributes to the sustainable improvement of the digital financial system and reinforces Hong Kong’s lengthy‑time period competitiveness.
The seventh version of HKCERT CTF Problem can be held in November 2026, that includes extra progressive attack-defence challenges and persevering with to arrange a world class to offer native contestants with a platform for technical trade with prime groups from Hong Kong, Chinese language Mainland, and abroad. Registration opens in September 2026, with finalists competing within the stay finals in February 2027.
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About Hong Kong Productiveness Council
The Hong Kong Productiveness Council (HKPC) is a statutory physique established in 1967, devoted to enhancing the productiveness and competitiveness of Hong Kong enterprises by world-class utilized R&D, progressive expertise companies, and built-in manufacturing options. As a market-oriented, worldwide R&D organisation, HKPC leverages its deep experience and in depth trade expertise in key areas akin to AI, superior manufacturing, life and well being expertise, inexperienced expertise and new vitality to drive new industrialisation and assist the expansion of rising and future industries.
HKPC focuses on addressing companies challenges and industrial expertise wants, selling the complete integration between technological and industrial innovation. By means of expertise switch, product innovation, mental property safety and commercialisation of R&D outcomes, the Council fosters collaboration with the native enterprise neighborhood in addition to prime international R&D establishments, delivering added worth to industries and advancing the event of recent productive forces. HKPC’s world-class R&D achievements have been extensively recognised over time, profitable an array of native and abroad accolades, reinforcing Hong Kong’s position as a world innovation and expertise centre and a sensible metropolis.
To assist enterprises capitalise on Hong Kong’s strengths in worldwide connectivity to increase into international markets, HKPC presents complete abroad growth companies tailor-made to essential areas together with product improvement, expertise, manufacturing, and administration, enabling companies to efficiently go international from Hong Kong.
HKPC can also be dedicated to offering well timed and sensible assist to SMEs and startups with well timed and sensible , helping them in accessing Authorities funding programmes. By means of its FutureSkills coaching initiatives, HKPC helps each trade and academia keep forward in newest digital and STEM applied sciences, nurturing a future-ready expertise pool for Hong Kong.
For extra info, please go to HKPC’s web site: 
www.hkpc.org/en.
