More than 400 competitors from 42 countries will gather for the European Cybersecurity Challenge from 12 to 16 October 2026, putting practical skills, shared learning and cross-border cooperation at the heart of the event.
Bochum, Germany, 21 September 2026. Hospitals, local authorities and businesses depend on people who understand how digital systems work, where they are vulnerable and how to protect them. On 12 October, more than 400 young people developing those skills will come together in Bochum. At the European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC), they will compete in national teams and meet others who share their curiosity about technology.
From 12 to 16 October, Bochum will welcome young cybersecurity talent from across Europe and invited guest countries, with 42 countries represented in total. Aged 14 to 25, the competitors have qualified through national selection competitions. ECSC brings them together to test their skills, tackle new problems and build connections beyond their national teams.
Understanding weaknesses, protecting systems
The competition turns cybersecurity into a hands-on challenge. Teams examine programs for vulnerabilities, analyse digital evidence and solve cryptographic puzzles. In another competition format, they run their own services and defend them against rival teams while looking for weaknesses in their opponents’ systems. All of this takes place in purpose-built competition environments.
Success takes technical knowledge, persistence and teamwork. Finding a vulnerability means understanding why it exists. Keeping a service secure means deciding, under pressure, which defence will work. These are skills that also matter beyond the competition, wherever people work to make digital systems more secure.
“To understand how to protect a system, you also need to understand its weaknesses. We want to encourage young people to pursue that curiosity. At ECSC, they meet peers from across Europe and beyond. They compete, learn from one another and build connections across borders. That is exactly the kind of cooperation Europe needs to keep its digital systems secure.”
Patrick Reich, Chair of Nachwuchsförderung IT-Sicherheit e.V.
A European competition with international connections
The European Cybersecurity Challenge is a European competition for young cybersecurity talents, supported by ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity.
National teams compete for points and places. Between the competitions, teams exchange ideas and get to know one another. Many of these connections continue after the event.
The competition and opening ceremony will take place at RuhrCongress Bochum. The event concludes with the awards ceremony at Jahrhunderthalle Bochum on 16 October.
ECSC 2026 is organised by Nachwuchsförderung IT-Sicherheit e.V. (NFITS), a volunteer-run association supporting young talent in IT security. Bochum is the host city. Schwarz Digits supports the event as main sponsor, with IKARUS and Securepoint jointly supporting it as platinum sponsors.
Media invitation
How do young people uncover a security flaw? How does a team work when it has to attack and defend at the same time? ECSC offers journalists a chance to meet the people behind the technology and bring cybersecurity to life for their audiences.
We invite media to cover the event in the run-up to the competition and on site in Bochum. The press team can help plan interviews, photography and filming, and connect journalists with people who can tell the story.
Media contact
Lars Adolph
Nachwuchsförderung IT-Sicherheit e.V.
media@ecsc2026.de
+49 174 2372295
Further information and accreditation:
ecsc2026.de/media