Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest TCQ 2026 : cyberchallenge.in

Organisation : Territorial Army
Contest Name : Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2026
Applicable For : Students, Researchers, and Professionals From Academic Institutions, Defence Organisations, and Industries
Prizes : Medallions, Certificates & Attractive Prizes
Last Date : 31st August, 2026
Website : https://www.cyberchallenge.in/tcq2026

What is Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest?

Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 is organised by the Territorial Army in collaboration with various Civil and Defence industry partners. Students, researchers, and professionals from academic institutions, defence organisations, and industries are eligible to participate. Teams must submit a Proof of Concept (PoC) video and a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) detailing their project/solution. Participate and win Medallions, Certificates & Attractive Prizes. Last date of registration is 31st August, 2026.

Who Can Enter in the Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest?

Age:
Participants must be at least 18 years old on the date of registration.

Nationality:
Only Indian citizens are eligible to participate in the Cyber Challenge.

Educational Background:
** Students, researchers, and professionals from academic institutions, defence organisations, and industries are eligible to participate.
** Participants must have a background in relevant fields such as engineering, computer science, data science, cybersecurity, or related disciplines.

How To Enter in the Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest?

Participants may register in the following 3 Tracks of the Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest 2026:-

Competition Format:
Compete in an online Capture-The-Flag (CTF) challenge during the shortlisting process. The shortlisted teams shall compete in a 36-hour live Indian Army-specific customized solution finale (in a simulated national-infrastructure sandbox). The shortlisted teams shall detect vulnerabilities, and document the exploits of the vulnerabilities detected. Participants shall also share links to their certifications or badges earned in the cybersecurity domain.

Participation Guidelines:
** Who: Students, Cybersecurity Professionals, Ethical Hackers, Armed Force Personnels & Researchers.
** ‍Format: Fully online CTF qualifier & in-person grand finale; team of maximum 3 members (including team leader).
** Scoring: An expert panel would grade the submissions made during the grand finale, based on severity of vulnerabilities detected, methodology & complexity.
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Grand Finale:
The top 10 shortlisted teams shall compete in the Grand Finale which will be a 36-hour in-person competition to be held in New Delhi in a secure, simulated national infrastructure environment. Participants shall perform live vulnerability discovery and documentation on a customized system stack with realistic dummy data. Bugs are evaluated based on severity, originality, and complexity, with an expert panel verifying findings and determining the final scores. The top 3 teams shall be declared winners based on their overall performance.

Prizes of Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest

Medallions and Certificates:
Awarded by the Territorial Army, these will serve as a prestigious recognition for participants’ contributions and achievements during the event.

Attractive Prizes:
Top 10 teams to the TCQ Grand Finale National recognition, prizes and a live stage alongside the Bug Hunting and AI Kavach finalists.

Opportunity to Contribute to the Territorial Army:
Participants will have a chance to collaborate with the Territorial Army, working alongside defense professionals and contributing directly to the national defense landscape and interaction with Senior Government and Military Hierarchy

Honoring of Winners:
Awards to be presented by a Senior Official from the Government of India and opportunity to visit key defence establishment

Important Dates of Indian Army Terrier Cyber Quest

** Registrations : July 30th , 2026 (Thursday) – August 31st , 2026 (Monday)
** Shortlisting Phase : September 1st, 2026 (Tuesday) – September 10th, 2026 (Thursday)
** Grand Finale : October 6th, 2026 (Tuesday) – October 8th, 2026 (Thursday)
** Award Ceremony: October 9th, 2026 (Friday)