Pinaka CTF 2026 – National-Level Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics Competition

About the Opportunity

The National Forensic Sciences University (NFSU), Chennai Campus, is organising Pinaka CTF 2026, a national-level Capture the Flag competition designed to test participants' cybersecurity knowledge, technical skills, analytical reasoning and digital investigation capabilities.

The competition provides a practical platform for students, cybersecurity enthusiasts, digital forensic investigators, researchers and information security professionals to solve technical challenges and demonstrate their problem-solving abilities. Participants can explore areas such as web security, digital forensics, open-source intelligence (OSINT), cryptography, reverse engineering, binary exploitation, network security and steganography.

Competition Structure

Stage 1: Online Qualification Round

The online qualifier will take place from 31 October to 1 November 2026. Participants will solve cybersecurity challenges in a competitive, points-based environment. The top 10 teams will advance to the offline grand finale, subject to the official rules and verification process.

Stage 2: Offline Grand Finale

The final round will be held on 28 November 2026 at the NFSU Chennai Campus. The 12-hour finale will feature multiple competition formats, including Jeopardy, King of the Hill and case-study scenarios.

Key Challenge Areas

Web Security: Identifying and analysing web application vulnerabilities.

Digital Forensics: Examining digital artefacts, memory dumps, disk images and network traffic.

OSINT: Analysing publicly available information and digital traces.

Cryptography: Solving encryption and cryptanalysis challenges.

Reverse Engineering and Binary Exploitation: Examining software behaviour and identifying technical weaknesses.

Network Security: Analysing network-related security problems.

Steganography: Detecting and extracting information concealed in digital files.

Who Can Participate?

The competition is open to students, cybersecurity enthusiasts, CTF participants, researchers and working professionals. No specific academic or professional background is required, according to the official website. Solo participation and team entries are permitted for the online round, subject to the registration rules.

Important Dates

Registration opens: 1 October 2026

Registration closes: 30 October 2026, 11:59 PM IST

Online qualifier: 31 October – 1 November 2026

Mandatory write-up submission deadline: 2 November 2026, 11:59 PM IST

Qualifier results: 4 November 2026

Offline grand finale: 28 November 2026

Why Should You Participate?

Pinaka CTF 2026 offers an opportunity to develop practical cybersecurity and digital investigation skills beyond conventional classroom learning. It may be particularly relevant to students of forensic science, digital forensics, cybersecurity and computer science who wish to strengthen their technical portfolios and gain experience with problem-oriented security challenges.

Participants should review the official rules, registration requirements, challenge guidelines and prize conditions before applying.