STEAM AHEAD - International Junior Cybersecurity Olympiad (IJCO)

STEAM AHEAD - International Junior Cybersecurity Olympiad (IJCO)

We are proud to announce that the National University of Singapore (NUS) Centre for Singapore National Cybersecurity R&D Lab (NCL) have partnered with SIMCC and Scholastic Trust foundation Singapore to offer optional Capture the Flag (CTF) workshop as well as CTF Contest, which will be part of the STEAM AHEAD IJCOs for Grades 7 to 12 (Secondary 1 to Junior College 2) contestants.

Prof Tan Sun Teck, President of lOI and 2 key staffs from NCL will be in Shenzhen to organise the INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR CYBERSECURITY OLYMPIAD – Capture the Flag. Training will be conducted by NUS staff and the INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR CYBERSECURITY OLYMPIAD CTF certs will bear NCL crests.

Capture-the-Flag (CTF) is a gamified approach to learning cybersecurity through a fun and captivating training + competition package. Participants’ cybersecurity knowledge and teamwork skills are tested by reinforcing important concepts through challenges written as interactive games and puzzles. CTFs can be used to determine the skill level of participants.

Prior to the competition, trainings and workshops would be conducted to help participants gauge their preparation levels and brush up on the necessary skills to ace the competition challenges. This may be between 4 days to a week, depending on the program structure.

Mode of competition: Onsite

Competition Date: IJCO on 12 Dec, Award Ceremony on 16 Dec 2026

Eligible for Grades: Primary 1 to Junior College 2

Entry Requirements: Bronze and above winners for IJCO 2026 from each country are invited to represent their country.

Awards: Medal and Certificate - Individual - Top 10% Gold, 15% Silver, 25% Bronze, and 20% Hon Mention.   plus Overall Champion, Runner-Up, and 2nd Runner-Up                          Team - Top 8,12,20% for Gold, Silver, Bronze