Beyond the breach: Pioneering cyber-resilient solutions.

In this age of mass digital communication, a sudden cyberattack on the world’s most critical assets can cause entire societies and the international security architecture they have built to be jeopardised. 

In 2025, at the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, student competitors will once again be tasked to develop security policy recommendations to tackle a fictional cyber incident with global repercussions. Following a new scenario, our contenders will have to work with critical infrastructures, increased interconnectedness and powerful stakeholders to show resilience in the face of cyber-danger.

What is the challenge all about?

The Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge is a unique competition designed to provide students from a range of academic disciplines in the world’s top universities with a deeper understanding of the policy challenges associated with cyber crisis and conflict. Part interactive learning experience and part competitive scenario exercise, it challenges teams to respond to a realistic, evolving cyberattack and analyse the threat it poses to national, international, and private sector interests. Students and professionals have a unique opportunity to interact with expert mentors and high-level cyber professionals while developing valuable skills in policy analysis and presentation. 

Instituted by the US-based think tank Atlantic Council, the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge has been going now for more than ten years. It was conceived from the outset as a tool to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical by engaging students in a cyber incident response exercise. The competition is unique in that it requires from student competitors to address a cyber crisis with a holistic and multidisciplinary approach.

In partnership with the Atlantic Council, the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) has been hosting the Geneva leg of the competition since 2015. To date, the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge has engaged thousands of students from a diverse range of countries and universities in Europe, Africa, North and South America and beyond. Building on its renowned experience in training the next generations of young leaders, policymakers, diplomats and international security experts, the GCSP, through the competition, seeks to bring together in an inclusive environment a global community of actors to tackle the cybersecurity challenges of tomorrow.

Championing worldwide engagement and interactions

The success of previous online deliveries of the competition has proven that a virtual format allows us to reach a broader audience and enables teams from a diverse range of countries to compete on an equal footing. In partnership with EventMobi, the GCSP is excited to announce that the 2025 iteration of Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge will once again take place on a customized online platform dedicated to bringing virtually in one single location all components of a traditional physical event, from competition rooms to plenary meetings, side event panels and networking spaces. The platform will not only enable participants to freely walk in and around the virtual premises of the competition, but it will also give them the opportunity to meet, exchange and interact with each other at any time throughout the event.

By offering competitors, judges and invitees a one-of-a-kind experience tailored to their needs and expectations, the Geneva Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge wants to position itself at the forefront of innovation while ensuring diversity and inclusion of participating teams.

Note: only accepted teams will receive their credentials to access the platform

Prize Categories

• 1st place: CHF 1'000+ Special Individual Prize
• Other awards include:
  • Most Creative Policy Responses
  • Best Teamwork
  • Best Oral Presentation
  • Best Decision Document

The Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge is open to all students currently enrolled in an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral programme. There are no explicit requirements as to academic discipline, major, coursework topic, or prior experience in cyber conflict necessary to compete, but successful applicants will have a strong link between cyber conflict policy and their current academic interest.

For any student wishing to advance their career opportunities in the field of cyber security, attending this competition provides a great entry on your CV and is a real career booster!