NIELIT Launches CYBER KUSHTI 2026 Hackathon Focusing on Human Judgment in Cybersecurity

• •CYBER KUSHTI 2026 is a national hackathon focused on human judgment in cybersecurity.
• •Registration is free and open until September 10, 2026, for teams of three.
• •The competition includes three rounds, with the final event scheduled for October 9, 2026.

On August 15, 2026, the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) launched CYBER KUSHTI 2026, a national hackathon aimed at testing human judgment in cybersecurity assessments. The competition is open to students and independent researchers, allowing teams of three to participate for free until September 10. Unlike traditional cybersecurity contests, this event emphasizes the ability to evaluate and prioritize security risks rather than merely identifying vulnerabilities. Each team will receive a deliberately imperfect Security Assessment Package containing AI-generated findings and other materials. Participants must produce a corrected security assessment and defend their decisions. The hackathon includes three rounds, culminating in a final event on October 9, 2026. Prof. M. M. Tripathi highlighted the importance of human judgment in distinguishing genuine threats from false positives generated by automated systems.