History

Competition Statistics

  • 2024: 652 students
  • 2023: 404 students
  • 2022: 285 students
  • 2021: 229 students
  • 2020: 417 students
  • 2019: 416 students
  • 2018: 270 students
  • 2017: 100 students

Past Events

2024

The 8th edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 652 students, comprising 183 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 10 teams made it to the final:

  • #!/shebang/ –  Rhodes University
  • I LAK LINUX – University of Pretoria
  • D33p_R00T – Namibia University of Science and Technology
  • Ctrl Phreaks – University of Johannesburg
  • Cyber GNRS – University of Witwatersrand (WITS) – Computer Science
  • Chaarows – Durban University of Technology
  • Notorius – Central University of Technology
  • THE3xplo1t3r – University of Western Cape
  • D3CYPH3R5 – University of Cape Town – Engineering
  • ByteMe – University of Witwatersrand (WITS) – Engineering

The various challenge winners were:

Cyber Security Challenge (CSC):

  • First place: I LAK LINUX – University of Pretoria
  • Second place: D3CYPH3R5 – University of Cape Town – Engineering
  • Third place: ByteMe – University of Witwatersrand (WITS) – Engineering

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: D3CYPH3R5 – University of Cape Town – Engineering
  • API Challenge: I LAK LINUX – University of Pretoria
  • MATLAB Classification Challenge: ByteMe – University of Witwatersrand (WITS) – Engineering

2023

The 7th edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 404 students, comprising 133 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 10 teams made it to the final:

  • B1str0M4th – North-West University
  • BuzzHackYear – University of Cape Town (Eng)
  • CtrlAltElite – University of Johannesburg (Eng)
  • CodeClappers – University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • CSyndicate – Rhodes University
  • FLUKE – University of Johannesburg (CS)
  • NullPointer – University of the Witwatersrand (Eng)
  • Password1234 – University of Pretoria
  • Prowl Patrol – University of the Western Cape
  • REvil – Namibia University of Science and Technology

The various challenge winners were:

Cyber Security Challenge (CSC):

  • First place: B1str0M4th – North-West University
  • Second place: REvil – Namibia University of Science and Technology
  • Third place: CSyndicate – Rhodes University

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: NullPointer – University of the Witwatersrand (Eng)
  • API Challenge: Password1234 – University of Pretoria
  • MATLAB Classification Challenge: B1str0M4th – North-West University

2022

The 6th edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 285 students, comprising 77 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 10 teams made it to the final:

  • Akai – North-West University
  • Cache Money – University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Cyber Codex – Botho University (Lesotho)
  • DaemonSlayers – University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • Decipherers – Rhodes University
  • Hack Elite – Tshwane University of Technology
  • Havana4 – University of the Western Cape
  • Piranhas – University of Cape Town (Eng)
  • The A Team – Durban University of Technology
  • The Whack Hack – Malawi University of Science and Technology

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

  • First place: Cache Money – University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Second place: DaemonSlayers – University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • Third place: Akai – North-West University

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: Cache Money – University of Pretoria (CS)
  • API Challenge: Cache Money – University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Exploitdroid Challenge: Decipherers – Rhodes University
  • Social Engineering Challenge: Piranhas – University of Cape Town (Eng)

2021

The 5th edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 229 students, comprising 65 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 11 teams made it to the final:

  • CyberFury, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Cronus, Botho University
  • UCSC, University of Eswatini
  • GonePhishing, Rhodes University
  • CommuniMaestros, University of Botswana
  • HappyTreeFriends, University of the Western Cape
  • Unid£ntified, Tshwane University of Technology
  • CyberGlory, University of Johannesburg
  • ThePhishermen, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • SavannaSolutionsSubset, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Tsotsi, University of Cape Town

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

  • First place: CyberFury, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Second place: SavannaSolutionsSubset, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Third place: HappyTreeFriends, University of the Western Cape

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: CyberFury, University of Pretoria (CS)

2020

The 4th edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 417 students, comprising 117 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 8 teams made it to the final:

  • Techtonic, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Devs with Benefits, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • WeRf<ckd, University of KwaZulu-Natal (CS)
  • The Order of the Bit, University of Stellenbosch and University of Cape Town
  • UPG8, University of Pretoria (Eng)
  • Verdigris, University of KwaZulu-Natal (CS)
  • SendNodes, University of the Western Cape
  • CAPTCHA the Flag, Namibia University of Science and Technology

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

  • First place: The Order of the Bit, University of Stellenbosch and University of Cape Town
  • Second place: Techtonic, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Third place: UPG8, University of Pretoria (Eng)

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: The Order of the Bit, University of Stellenbosch and University of Cape Town
  • Social Engineering Challenge: André van der Walt, University of KwaZulu-Natal and Wilhelm Wiid, University of Pretoria

2019

The 3rd edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 416 students, comprising 125 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 12 teams made it to the final:

  • (`_>’), University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • GandCrab, Stellenbosch University
  • IHateYou, North-West University
  • Inf3ct, Namibia University of Science and Technology
  • Short Circuits, University of KwaZulu-Natal (Eng)
  • Team Golf, University of Pretoria (Eng)
  • The IT Crowd, University of KwaZulu-Natal (CS)
  • TheGeeks, Multiple universities, Mozambique
  • We Who Shall Not Be Named, University of the Western Cape
  • WillHackForPizza, University of the Witwatersrand (Eng)
  • WireGhosts, University of Botswana, Botswana
  • Pigeon.exe, University of Pretoria (CS)

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

  • First Place: Pigeon.exe, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Second place: We Who Shall Not Be Named, University of the Western Cape
  • Third Place: IHateYou, North-West University

Specific Challenges:

  • Attack/Defend Challenge: Team Golf, University of Pretoria (Eng)
  • Social Engineering Challenge: The IT Crowd, University of KwaZulu-Natal (CS)
  • Hash Challenge: (`_>’), University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • Bonus Challenge – Hack the Shark (individual): Andrew Boyley – University of the Witwatersrand (CS)

2018

The 2nd edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved 270 students, comprising approximately 90 teams that competed for a place in the final. The following 10 teams made it to the final:

  • misJUDged (BRICS Champions), University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Down Town Cookie Factory, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Wits Hacky Sac, University of the Witwatersrand (CS)
  • PUK3, North West University
  • GGEZ, University of the Western Cape
  • Mirai, Rhodes University
  • Bit Phase, Stellenbosch University
  • Bureau 122, University of Cape Town
  • NUST4, Namibia University of Science and Technology
  • Cyber Nerds, University of Botswana

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

First Place: misJUDged, University of Pretoria (CS)
Second place: Bit Phase, Stellenbosch University
Third Place: Down Town Cookie Factory, University of Pretoria (CS)

Specific Challenges:

  • Hack the Server Challenge: misJUDged, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Social Engineering Challenge: Various
  • Hash Challenge: GGEZ, University of the Western Cape

2017

The 1st edition of the Cyber Security Challenge involved approximately 100 students, comprising around 30 teams that competed for a place in the final. 8 teams made it to the final.

The various challenge winners were:

Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge:

  • First Place: Team BitPhase, University of Stellenbosch
  • Second place: Team Awesome Source, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Third Place: Team H5-N1, University of Pretoria (CS)

Specific Challenges:

  • Hack the Server Challenge: Team H5-N1, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Social Engineering Challenge: Team H5-N1, University of Pretoria (CS)
  • Hash Challenge: Team Insecure, University of the Western Cape