Where Students Don't Just Solve Challenges... They Create Them First.

The Cyber in Motion Battle of the Uni-Verse CTF for students is an innovative, student-led cyber security competition that reimagines the traditional Capture the Flag (CTF) experience.

It's open to all students from across secondary schools and tertiary campuses - including universities, TAFE, business schools, etc.

Unlike conventional CTFs where participants compete solely by solving challenges designed by others. This inaugural event empowers students to take on both sides of the cyber battlefield:

Challenge Creator and Challenge Competitor.

Each CTF creation is submitted to the CIM Battle of the Uni-Verse (#CIM-BOTU) Submission panel

Following a review and quality assurance process, the best student-created challenges are deployed to the competition platform, forming the foundation of a unique, peer-designed cyber competition.

The event culminates in an exciting four-hour CIM Battle of the Uni-Verse CTF, where teams test their skills against challenges created by fellow students.

This dual-focus format provides participants with a deeper understanding of cyber security by encouraging them to think like both attackers and defenders, problem-solvers and challenge architects.

More than a competition, the CIM Battle of the Uni-Verse is a showcase of student innovation, collaboration, and technical capability.

It creates opportunities for aspiring cyber and digital professionals to demonstrate their talents, learn from their peers, and gain hands-on experience in challenge design, platform delivery, teamwork, and cyber problem-solving.

How does the CIM Battle of the Uni-Verse CTF work?

Two easy steps:

Step 1: Create Your Capture the Flag Challenges

Your team has a creation window of 16 days from October 5 and October 20.

Purpose: This step is designed to demonstrate creativity, technical knowledge, and real-world cyber security concepts understood by each team, through their CTF submissions.

Students form a team to represent their school or tertiary campus. (Team name to be included on registration)
Teams can be between 5 - 10 students.
Each team appoints a Team Captain. (Team Captains name to be nominated in registration)
Teams must be registered by October 4. No late registrations will be accepted.
Each team has 16 days to design and develop original CTF challenges. Submission cut off date October 20th, 2026
A CIM CTF Leader will contact the Team Captain to discuss submission process.
CTF submissions will be reviewed by our CIM Panel

Have questions email us hello@cyberinmotion.com.au

Details of the submission requirements will be sent to your nominated team captain before the creation window start date October 5.

Not late submissions will be accepted, CIM CTF Panel decisions are final.

Step 2: Join in the CTF Competition Day

Your Team will have four hours to solve other team challenges

Purpose: This day is designed to showcase each team's understanding, technical knowledge and capability in foundational cyber security skills associated with different types of CTF challenges.

Note: CIM-BOTU is designed as an in-person event in Brisbane in 2026.

Remote and regional CIM-BOTU events will take place throughout the 2026/2027 calendar.

And valuable feedback from this inaugural event will help the CIM CREW to uplift the program in the future.

Each Team will participate in Jeopardy-style CTF competition.
Teams will solve challenges created by other participating teams (excluding their own submissions).
Challenges will attract dynamic scoring - the more a challenge is solved the less points it attracts.
Teams will also be able to like or dislike challenges, allowing the organisers to identify the most popular and least popular submissions.

Which students can compete?

ALL Students!!!

The Cyber in Motion Battle of the Uni-Verse CTF is designed to bring together students from across campuses - this includes secondary and tertiary (universities, TAFE, etc.)

Participants must be a current student and represent a campus.

Don't have a team, no stress!!

Reach out to hello@cyberinmotion.com.au letting us know what campus you are from, we may be able to link you in to an existing team or help you form one.

Competition Winner Categories - Prizes and Bragging Rights:

Most Liked Submission: Awarded to the challenge that receives the most likes from competing teams.

Top Scoring Creators: Awarded to the team with the highest total score for submitted challenges.

Top Scoring Competitors: Awarded to the team with the highest score on Competition Day.

Overall Grand Champion: Awarded to the team with the highest combined score across challenge submissions and Competition Day.

The top four placing teams from the CIM Battle of the Uni-Verse will qualify to compete in the second round at our CIM END-GAMES 2026 events in November.

Mandatory Requirements on Competition day:

BYO Laptops
BYO Drink Bottle & Lite Lunch

All Team Members must have completed the media consent form (pdf attached in the ticket registration)- indicating whether they accept or not - this will be collected on competition day registration. Participants under 18 will require consent by their parent/guardian.

Note, participants may be over 18 years old.

Submission Requirements:

Your team captain is responsible for all submissions and communications with the CIM CTF Crew.

Submissions may be entered under one of the following six approved categories:

OSINT

Cryptography

Web Exploitation

Reverse Engineering

Misc.

A separate walkthrough summary document must also be provided

Training for something, or want to train for something??

Be a part of a unique national challenge.

Take a look at our CIM END-GAMES 2026 to register

Also see the CIM WINTER-GAMES 2026 video here

Plus, more events to view in this calendar:

https://cyberinmotion.com.au/challenges/

Contact the host of Cyber in Motion Battle of the Uni-Verse Student Capture the Flag Challenge Competition