Archive · 16 Aug 2026
NIELIT Launches CYBER KUSHTI 2026 to Test Human Cybersecurity Judgment
NIELIT, a government group in India, is running a new contest called CYBER KUSHTI 2026.
The contest is about computer security, which is about keeping computers and apps safe from hackers.
In many computer contests, players hunt for hidden bugs in software.
This contest is different: it tests how well players can make smart human judgments about security reports.
Every team gets the same pretend security report that contains real problems, fake problems, and missing problems.
Teams must sort out which problems are real and most important to fix.
They win points for finding real problems and for correctly dismissing fake ones.
The contest is free for students and researchers, and teams of three can register from August 15 until September 10.
NIELIT, under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), has launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a nationwide cybersecurity and AI hackathon.
The hackathon is the official parallel technical track of the 3rd National Conference on Cyber Security, Digital Forensics and Intelligence (NCCDFI 2026).
Registration opened on August 15 and continues until September 10; participation is free for students and independent researchers in teams of three.
All teams receive the same deliberately imperfect Security Assessment Package containing false, duplicated, and genuine findings, while some real vulnerabilities are omitted.
Participants are rewarded for identifying real security issues and for correctly dismissing inaccurate findings, unlike conventional vulnerability-hunting or CTF contests.
The competition reflects the growing need for professionals who can distinguish genuine threats from false positives generated by automated systems.
- Who
- NIELIT (National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology) under MeitY, organized in collaboration with ISAC Foundation and CERT-In; participants are students and independent researchers.
- What
- Launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a nationwide cybersecurity and AI hackathon designed to test human judgment in evaluating and prioritizing security findings.
- When
- Announced on Sunday; registration runs from August 15 to September 10, 2026.
- Where
- New Delhi; the competition is nationwide across India.
- Why
- To address the growing need for professionals who can distinguish genuine threats from false positives generated by automated systems.
- Organizer
- NIELIT (under MeitY)
- Event
- CYBER KUSHTI 2026
- Event Type
- Nationwide cybersecurity and AI hackathon
- Associated Conference
- 3rd NCCDFI 2026 official parallel technical track
- Partners
- ISAC Foundation (under NSD); CERT-In as knowledge partner
- Registration Window
- August 15 - September 10
- Cost
- Free of charge
- Team Size
- Three members (students and independent researchers)