Slovak Cyberteam brings together the most talented young Slovaks in cybersecurity and prepares them for the European finals. Through an open game, selection, and intensive bootcamps, a ten-member team emerges ready for fierce competition. The project also builds a community and helps keep skilled people in Slovakia.
National team in cybersecurity
Slovak Cyberteam is the national team of young talents aged 15 to 25. The goal is to prepare a ten-member team for the finals of the European Cyber Security Challenge, the largest European competition of its kind. The competition runs for two days and follows a CTF format: the first day Jeopardy, the second Attack & Defense. The emphasis is on discovering the potential of future cyber specialists.
The finals are hosted by a different country each year, and this year they will be in Warsaw. More than 40 countries have registered, including guest teams from outside the EU, for example from Australia, Japan, and Israel. In a huge hall there are more than four hundred participants; each team has its own table and plays for roughly ten hours a day. Last year, an Albanian team composed entirely of girls also drew attention.
From an online game to a team
The team is made up of talents uncovered in the online game Cybergame, organized by the National Security Authority. The game is open to the general public and has long attracted thousands of registrations; in the most recent edition, a record of around 4,000 was set. From it, the organizers select the most capable young people and invite them for further training.
The key is weekend bootcamps at the manor house in Brunovce, which the NBÚ turned into a modern training center. Last year participants spent seven weekends there; this year at least two have already taken place. Around 17 candidates are currently preparing, and by October the final ten will emerge from them. Training teaches teamwork and communication: introverts gradually open up within the community and share experiences.
Collaboration and successes
The European competition is overseen by ENISA, and collaboration between countries is intense. For the third year, Slovak coaches and players have been invited to an international bootcamp in Vienna, where young people experience the atmosphere of hacking together. In Brunovce, their own international bootcamp has also been established; this year strong Romanian partners accepted the invitation as well. Besides the technical side, emphasis is placed on soft skills and the community so that the talents also grow personally.
The first fruits are already visible. Young Slovaks took two first places at Bucharest’s Hacking Village, and in March they won the Zero Days City competition in Dublin, the largest Irish event of its kind. Such successes boost confidence, open doors to practice, and motivate them to keep developing their careers at home. That’s why the project has a broader impact: it changes participants’ lives and strengthens Slovakia’s cybersecurity future.
