CYPHER 4.0 - Inter University Coding and Ethical Hacking Competition (The Grand Finale)

Description

The IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) Student Branch Affinity Group of General Sir John Kotelawala Defence University (KDU) successfully concluded CYPHER 4.0 , the fourth edition of its national-level Coding and Ethical Hacking Competition, on 05 September 2026 at the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS), KDU. The initiative was organized with Google Developer Groups Sri Lanka, Google Developer Groups Cloud Sri Lanka, and Women Techmakers Sri Lanka serving as Knowledge Partners. CYPHER 4.0 was designed to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities among Sri Lankan undergraduates by providing a practical and competitive environment to develop technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, teamwork, and ethical hacking practices. The competition consisted of an online awareness session, a preliminary Pre-Task , and a grand-finale Capture The Flag (CTF) Challenge . The preliminary Pre-Task enabled participants to demonstrate their cybersecurity knowledge and technical abilities while identifying the strongest teams for the final stage. Following the preliminary round, 12 teams were selected to compete in the grand finale. The CTF Challenge featured a series of cybersecurity problems that encouraged participants to apply their knowledge, think critically, collaborate effectively, and develop strategic solutions under competitive conditions. The event also provided participants with opportunities for knowledge sharing and networking with students from universities across Sri Lanka. The involvement of the Knowledge Partners strengthened the technical and educational aspects of the competition, contributing to a valuable learning experience for the participants. The grand finale brought together an enthusiastic audience and highly engaged competitors, creating an energetic environment throughout the competition. A total of 43 IEEE members participated, while 88 guests and audience members contributed to the overall engagement of the event. At the conclusion of the competition, the top-performing teams were recognized for their outstanding achievements. Team PhaZto from CICRA Campus emerged as the Champions and received a cash prize of LKR 25,000 . Cipher Syndicate from the University of Ruhuna secured First Runner-Up with a cash prize of LKR 15,000 , while Bounty Hunt3r from the University of Ruhuna became Second Runner-Up and received LKR 10,000 . The remaining nine finalist teams were awarded certificates in recognition of their achievement in reaching the grand finale. In addition, Asiri Dheeranath was recognized as the Best Performer of CYPHER 4.0 for outstanding individual performance. As the fourth consecutive edition of the CYPHER initiative, CYPHER 4.0 further strengthened its legacy as a recurring platform for developing student cybersecurity talent. Its structured and scalable model makes it suitable for continued annual implementation and adoption by other IEEE Student Branches and universities. Through its emphasis on practical cybersecurity education, ethical hacking, collaboration, and technical excellence, CYPHER 4.0 successfully contributed to building a stronger and more connected student cybersecurity community in Sri Lanka while reflecting IEEE’s commitment to technological innovation, professional development, and knowledge sharing.