Cyber Talents Sets FDC CTF Qualification Round for Sep 17

In Short

Cyber Talents is hosting the FDC CTF Qualification Round online on September 17, 2026.

Teams of 2 to 4 can compete from 15:00 to 21:00 UTC.

Top-performing teams will qualify for the on-site FDC Summit finals on September 23 and 24.

What Happened

Cyber Talents announced an online qualifier for its FDC CTF, a capture the flag competition.

A CTF is a timed cybersecurity contest where teams solve security puzzles and submit “flags”, which are secret codes that prove you completed a challenge.

The qualifier is open to participants across Egypt, with no age, nationality, or academic major restrictions. Participation is online and team-based, with a minimum of two people and a maximum of four.

The qualifier uses a Jeopardy-style format. That means teams pick from a board of challenges across categories, then earn points based on difficulty.

Cybersecurity topics in scope include reverse engineering, web security, digital forensics, and network security.

Cyber Talents listed rules aimed at keeping the competition fair. Flag sharing across teams is not allowed. Brute-force attempts on the submission portal are also prohibited. Any attack against the platform or hosted servers can lead to an immediate ban.

Teams that place highest in the qualification round will advance to the finals at the FDC Summit. The finals run for two days on-site.

Day one is a technical CTF day, focused on hands-on security skills. Day two is a GRC CTF day, focused on governance, risk, and compliance, which is the policy and decision side of security.

Why It Matters

Events like the FDC CTF are a practical way to spot and grow cybersecurity talent in Egypt, especially for students and early-career professionals.

They also help broaden skills beyond pure technical work. The inclusion of a GRC day signals demand for people who can translate security risks into business decisions.

For companies hiring in Cybersecurity, CTF results can act as a useful proof of skill. It is harder to fake than a CV.

For participants, the qualifier is a low-barrier entry point into competitive security and a direct path to an on-site finals stage at a major local summit.