UK Cyber Leaders Challenge

The cyber strategy competition for UK university students.

Inspire

Inspiring students from diverse backgrounds to see opportunities in cyber.

Empowering students to develop human-centric & leadership skills.

Connecting future talent to a community of government, industry & academia.

Empower

Connect

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2025 Recap

Scenario Theme | Maritime Ports

1st | bl00msbury_blizz4rd | University College London

2nd | Cy-borough | Loughborough University

3rd | Port Patrol | Aston University & University of Birmingham

Networking opportunities.

Access to industry professionals and valuable connections in the cyber field.

Practical learning.

Engaging in real-world national cyber emergency scenarios to apply academic knowledge & develop leaderships skills.

Career development.

Guidance and support for students to navigate their cyber career paths.

Developing future cyber leaders.

Uniting government, industry, and academia to nurture diverse talent in cybersecurity through hands-on learning and professional networking opportunities.

How it works.

Applications.

Oct - Dec 2024

University students form teams of 4 with support from an academic mentor and apply to the competition.

people riding bicycles on road near building during daytime
people riding bicycles on road near building during daytime

Regional Qualifiers.

3rd to 7th Feb 2025

Teams put their skills to the test by presenting their response to Scenario Stage 1 to a panel of expert judges.

National Final.

19th & 20th Mar 2025

The top 17 teams compete at the BT Tower, London to be crowned national champions in 3 rounds with increasing time pressure.

Ongoing Community.

All competitors are invited to join the Cyber Leaders Challenge Alumni community, supporting each other to progress in our cyber careers.

Get involved.

A community of government, industry & academia supporting the next generation of UK cyber leaders.

Lecturers.

Mentor a team of students to apply their academic knowledge in practice-based learning.

Students.

Apply multidisciplinary skills in a real-world national cyber emergency scenario.

Cyber Professionals.

Organisations.

Access an incredible talent pipeline of the most promising future cyber leaders in the UK.

Support university students from a variety of backgrounds to launch their career in cyber.