SEC595: Applied Data Science and AI/Machine Learning for Cybersecurity Professionals
SEC595Cyber Defense, Artificial Intelligence
SANS Community Benefits
Connect, learn, and share with other cybersecurity professionals
What is the SANS CTF European Championship?
This is a two-stage European cybersecurity competition combining national qualifying rounds with a Europe-wide Final.
Built on the same practical foundations as SANS training, the tournament focuses on real-world, hands-on cyber skills across areas such as:
- Incident response
- Threat detection and analysis
- Network defence
- Exploitation and vulnerability analysis
- Security operations
This is applied capability under pressure, not theoretical knowledge.
Stage 1: National CTF Qualifiers (Open to all)
Date: 25th May 2026 to 29th of May 2026
Start Time: 9am CEST
- Open to individual players across 46 European countries
- Players will have 48 hours to compete over the 5 days.
- Top 10 participants in each country qualify for the European Final
- National winners receive an exclusive challenge coin
This stage identifies the strongest players at a national level and determines who advances to represent their country in the European Championship Final.
Stage 2: European Championship Final
Date: 10th June 2026 to 12th of June 2026
Start Time: 9am CEST
Top qualifiers from across Europe have a 3-day window to compete in an advanced Skills Quest Championship Final. These challenges will be exponentially harder than the first round and will push the finalists to their limits.
The rules are simple: the one who finishes with the most points on day 3 wins and is crowned the SANS CTF European Champion.
Why Enter?
- Test your skills against other top cybersecurity professionals across Europe
- Gain national, European recognition – basically, get yearlong bragging rights
- Demonstrate hands-on capability in realistic CTF scenarios
Whether you are just getting started in cyber or whether you’re an ambitious cyber professional, this competition offers measurable proof of your technical ability.
Championship Prizes
- 1st Place: SANS Training Course plus GIAC Certification attempt
- 2nd Place: SANS Training Course
- 3rd Place: 1-Year Skills Quest licence
How to Register
You’ll need a SANS account to sign up and participate. Due to the popularity of our tournaments, we ask you to register as soon as you can, but also, please only register if you are certain you can play in the week of the 25th of May 2026.
Once inside your portal, watch out for the SANS CTF European Championship banner. That’s your entry point. Click it, lock in your place, and get ready to step into the competition.
