Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge
It is one thing to learn about Cybersecurity and security policies, but it is another thing to experience the pressure of handling a cyber-crisis as it is unfolding. In this multidisciplinary challenge simulation, you will get to live through exactly that!
The Challenge
The Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge has you take the role of experienced cyber policy experts to the High Commissioners of the European Union.
In teams of four, your task is to analyze the given ongoing cyber-crisis and create policy recommendations for the government.
The nature of the problem is multidisciplinary, as you need to tackle the problem from multiple stakeholder perspectives (technical, political, social etc.) — that is why we make diverse teams, with participants from multiple study programs working together to bridge the gaps in their knowledge and achieve the best possible result.
Throughout the 3 rounds, the fictional cyber-crisis escalates and you must act fast with appropriate policy options. In each round, your judges are a broad-disciplined panel of experts from the Cybersecurity field, which will examine your proposal and pose critical questions about your solutions. You have to be both well prepared and quick on your feet to respond!
Round 1: base scenario
2 weeks
Round 2: escalation
12 hours
Round 3: second escalation
15 minutes
"The 9/12 challenge is getting more competitive every year - systematic and thorough preparation is increasingly paramount for doing well. The ETH Cyber Group provides you with that - and on top, with great opportunities to network"
The Training
To be successful at the competition, your team needs to show solid analytical and critical thinking, writing and presentation skills. Your policy options should include technical and diplomatic solutions, media response, and very often law enforcement and military involvement. Since we're working with diverse teams of people, we will provide training on all the core skills that are needed – we roughly group them into 4 parts: the Technical part, the Policy part, Cyber in practice and Soft Skills.
During the training sessions, different experts from industry, public sector and academia will give you detailed insight into the various relevant topics. The lecturers are prominent professionals ETH Cyber Group has been collaborating with for years. You will have a chance to meet them, to work with them in real-life conditions, as well as to receive personal feedback during the practice session and trial run. Additionally, each team will have a coach – someone who has already successfully participated in previous 9/12 Challenge editions to support and guide them through this adventure.
Please be aware that the estimated workload during the competition and the training, combined with your individual work outside of the training, feels like 3-4 ECTS. The Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge and the associated ETH Cyber Group Training require your time, effort and commitment. Cyber security is a team sport, and you will be an essential part of your team. Also, you will be in a team with other motivated students, eager to learn and grow. If you register for the training, your attendance is compulsory, but we do understand if you cannot come in case of illness or other justified reasons.
The 4 parts of the training
Why participate?
The competition is engaging and fast-paced. As time runs short and the crisis escalates, you will have to make quick decisions and come up with creative solutions to the threats you face. You will work together as a team and communicate your ideas clearly and effectively to the judges. The training is a unique experience. You will learn from and interact with experts in various fields of cybersecurity, meet motivated students like you, and collaborate with your team on interdisciplinary problems under crisis conditions.
While venturing outside of your comfort zone into this unique adventure, you should also know that you are in good hands! Previous ETH teams, trained by ETH Cyber Group, won at the Challenge in Geneva in 2025, 2024, 2021, 2020! In 2023 one of our teams secured 2nd place.
Trained by ETH Cyber Group
Winning years
Gallery
Registration
No prior knowledge is required. University students from all study programs are welcome! Also, don't worry, you don't need a team to apply – you apply individually, and we will take care of creating teams with varied skills where you can grow together.
Please be aware that we have capacity to train a limited number of teams. But we are sure that your application will stand out if you show to us your motivation and willingness to learn about interdisciplinary topics during the training!
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to andrea.marcolin@cybergroup.ch
Challenge Q&A
Do I need to have a team?
No, we will team you up after you sign up for our training, but you can of course bring your friends with you :)
Do I need a technical background in cyber security to take part?
No, students of any background are welcome to join!
Do I need to participate in all training sessions?
Yes. Attendance is important for your team’s preparation, so we expect you at every session. If you have a valid reason, you can of course miss one.