Forget the textbook: this is how you hack your way to a better career

When Dr Mariana Dodorouva, Dean of UWS London, kicked off the event, the energy was electric. Imagine 15 teams, 70 students, and one massive challenge ahead. There was a mix of nervous energy and pure enthusiasm – the kind you get when you know you’re about to dive deep into a problem you can't find the answer to in a book.  
 
The core goal? Capture the Flag (CTF). This means students weren’t just building one thing; they were fighting a multi-front cyber war, working on both offence and defence.  

The stakes were high, and the problems were brutal. Our amazing faculty and dedicated MSc students designed challenges that mirror real-world attack scenarios. We’re talking about syllabus that included:  
 
1. Offence: web vulnerability exploitation, cryptography, and penetration testing exercises. (The stuff that makes security teams sweat.) 
 
2. Defence: digital forensic investigations, malware reverse engineering, and threat-hunting tasks. (The stuff that protects companies from millions of pounds in damages.) 
 
These challenges weren’t easy. Many teams found the web pen-testing and malware reverse engineering tasks particularly demanding. But here’s the kicker: this pressure is where real learning happens. Under the guidance of our MSc mentors, who were there to coach, not to solve, teams pushed through technical hurdles and delivered incredible results.  
 
Pro-tip alert: this is the kind of experience that takes your job interview answer from ‘I took a forensics class’ to ‘I’ve performed a live forensic investigation under time pressure’.  

The success of Cyber Hack 2k25 wasn’t just about code; it was about collaboration.  
 
Students quickly learned to divide tasks based on strengths, working together in a way that mirrors a professional security operations centre (SOC). The collaborative environment was key, building strong peer connections that last far beyond the competition.  

A huge part of what made this event so seamless was the work of our dedicated students:

-Muhammad Shahsad and Muhammad Zeeshan didn’t just design the complex CTF challenges alongside DR Danial Javahery, they also ran two days of pre-hackathon training sessions to prep everyone.

-Abdul Rehman built the entire CTF submission website and integrated web services, making the submission process smooth and professional.

-Talha Munir handled the whole visual identity, the logos, posters, and digital certificates, giving the event a truly pro look and feel.

This event was a learning ecosystem, not just for the participants, but for the entire student-run organising team who polished their leadership, coordination, and communication skills in the process. 

A massive thank you to the full team who drove this event forward:

Event Advisory
Dr Mariana Dodourova, Dean of Campus, UWS London
Dr Sin Wee Lee, Head of Subject Area (CEPS & HLS), UWS London

Faculty Coordinators
Dr Manesh Thnakappan
Dr Raja Ujjan
Dr Danial Javaheri 
Dr Muhsin Hassanu 

Lead Student Coordinators
Umar Rasheed
Abdul Rehman
Hamza Younis
Fahim Rehman
Talha Munir

While every team showed incredible talent only one could take the top prize. Team Dragon and Hydra solved a majority of the offensive and defensive challenges, showing remarkable balance in skills. Team ByteBridge stood out for their forensic analysis and innovative approach to malware reverse engineering. 

The winner  

Unlike traditional hackathons, the judges weren't looking for success on a single project. Team Dragon earned the win by solving the greatest number of challenges across both offensive and defensive domains. They stood out for their:  
 
1) Technical correctness and speed: their solutions were fast and flawless.  
 
2) Clarity of explanation: they could articulate how they solved the problem, not just that they were complete.  
 
3) Collaboration: the judges saw clear evidence of a well-oiled machine in action.  
 
They went home with a prize of Amazon gift vouchers, but more importantly, they earned the ultimate career currency: validated, high-level, real-world experience.

Your future starts here  

 
What did students walk away with? 
 
-Confidence: a massive boost in tackling real-world cybersecurity incidents.  
-Soft skills: sharpened teamwork, time management, communication, and leadership.  
-Employer-ready expertise: technical depth in penetration testing, cryptography, and forensics that goes way beyond a module grade.  

Building on this success, we’re aiming even bigger! Get ready for a National Level Hackathon in February 2026. We’re bringing in participants from other universities and attracting more sponsors and leading cybersecurity industries.  
 
This means more exposure, more networking, and even more opportunities to prove your skills against the best in the UK.  
 
Ready to stop reading about the future of tech and start building it? Stay tuned for details on how you can get involved in the next big event!

Cyber threats aren't slowing down, and neither should your expertise. Ensure your degree stays relevant five years from now by choosing a programme built on contemporary, challenge-based scenarios.