The 2026 Cyber Trial:
AI, Scale, and Security

In the 2026 JOLT Cyber Challenge, the fast-paced world of a growing tech startup collides with the emerging risks of artificial intelligence.

This year’s scenario continues the story from last year’s competition. The once-scrappy social platform Jitter has been fully acquired and rebranded as J, shifting its focus toward artificial intelligence with the development of a new system known as jAI. As J scales rapidly, legacy systems, rushed decisions, and AI-driven features introduce new and unexpected security vulnerabilities.

Teams of four will navigate this evolving environment over an intensive weekend of hands-on challenges designed to reflect how modern organizations actually fail — and how defenders respond.

Open to high school students, college students, and professionals, JOLT offers a competitive, collaborative space to test and sharpen cybersecurity skills in realistic, high-pressure scenarios.

Embrace the Hacker Challenge

Designed by a seasoned team of cybersecurity Game Makers, JOLT goes far beyond a traditional capture-the-flag event.

Participants will face a range of Jeopardy-style challenges testing skills in areas such as:

• Web and application vulnerabilities
• Reverse engineering
• Cryptography and encoding
• Infrastructure and systems security
• Incident response and adversarial thinking

This year’s AI-focused scenario adds an additional layer of complexity, requiring teams to think critically about automation, trust, and unintended consequences.

JOLT is not just about technical execution — it’s about mindset. Competitors will:

• Strengthen critical thinking approaches for complex technical problems
• Apply tools and techniques used by working cybersecurity professionals
• Build collaboration and communication skills in team-based environments
• Gain hands-on experience with both foundational and emerging cybersecurity concepts

Registration Includes

• Participation in the full JOLT Cyber Challenge
• 6 full meals + snacks + caffeine
• Access to technical mentors and exposure to top regional tech talent
• Opportunities to explore new tools, techniques, and career pathways

*Participants registered by March 24 will receive a JOLT T-shirt.

Agenda

Friday:

5 PM: Check-in + Setup

5:45 PM: Dinner

6:30 PM: Orientation

9:00 PM: Doors Close

Saturday:

8:00 AM: Doors Open + Breakfast

9:00 AM: Puzzles Open

12:00 PM: Lunch

6:00 PM: Dinner

11:00 PM: Doors Close

Sunday:

8:00 AM: Doors Open + Breakfast

9:00 AM: Puzzles Open

12:00 PM: End of Game + Lunch

1:00 PM: Awards Ceremony

2:00 PM: Go Home + Crash!

Interested in Sponsoring?

Would you like to sponsor the 2026 JOLT Cyber Challenge? Click the link below to explore our sponsorship packet and learn how you can get involved in supporting the next generation of innovators.