Indian Army Launches ‘Terrier Cyber Quest 2026’ Hackathon

The Indian Army’s Territorial Army, in collaboration with CyberPeace, has launched Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 (TCQ 3.0), a national-level hackathon focused on developing innovative solutions to emerging defence, cybersecurity and information-domain challenges.

The third edition aims to bring together technical talent from academia, industry, research institutions, government organisations and the Armed Forces. The competition will focus on areas such as Artificial Intelligence, cybersecurity, threat mitigation and digital awareness, with an emphasis on developing indigenous solutions for national security.

Three Competition Tracks

TCQ 3.0 will feature three major tracks:

1. Bug Hunting

This cybersecurity challenge will begin with an online Capture-the-Flag (CTF) qualifier, followed by an in-person live sandbox finale. Participants will identify and document vulnerabilities in simulated critical infrastructure environments.

2. AI Kavach

This track will challenge participants to develop AI and machine-learning solutions for predictive threat intelligence, automated defence mechanisms and anomaly detection.

3. Creators Challenge

Content creators, communicators and influencers will develop digital media and storytelling campaigns highlighting threats such as deepfakes, phishing, online scams and misinformation.

Important Dates

Registrations for Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 are open until August 31, 2026. The online shortlisting round will take place from September 1 to 10, 2026.

The Grand Finale will be held in New Delhi from October 6 to 8, 2026, followed by the award ceremony on October 9, 2026.

The initiative provides students, technology professionals, researchers and creators an opportunity to contribute their skills towards addressing emerging cybersecurity and national security challenges.