Nepal’s digital footprint is growing fast, and so are the risks that come with it. Nepal Cyber Shield 2026 (NCS2026), Nepal’s National Capture The Flag Championship, brings students, ethical hackers, researchers, and security professionals together to compete, learn, and help build a safer digital Nepal.
The event is organized by the Rotaract Club of Lumbini Stars. This guide covers the format, the challenge categories, the prizes, and the registration details.
What Is Nepal Cyber Shield 2026?
Nepal Cyber Shield is a national-level cybersecurity competition. Participants solve real-world-style security challenges, and the top teams advance to a live, in-person final. It suits students, self-taught hackers, and working professionals alike.
What Is a Capture The Flag (CTF) Competition?
A CTF is a cybersecurity contest where you find a hidden string of text, called a flag, by exploiting a vulnerability, decoding a message, or analyzing evidence. You submit each flag to the platform to earn points. CTFs are one of the best ways to build practical, hands-on security skills.
Competition Format
NCS2026 runs in two stages:
- Online Qualifier (Jeopardy-style). Teams solve independent challenges across several categories and submit flags on the official competition platform. The top 10 teams advance.
- Physical Round (King of the Hill). Qualified teams compete live and in person. In this format, teams fight to take and hold control of target systems.
You can read the full rules on the Rules & Format page.
Challenge Categories
The qualifier covers ten areas, so there is something for every skill level and interest:
- Web Security: finding weaknesses in web applications
- Cryptography: breaking or analyzing encryption schemes
- Digital Forensics: investigating digital evidence to uncover hidden information
- OSINT: solving challenges with open-source intelligence
- Reverse Engineering: analyzing binaries and compiled software
- Binary Exploitation (Pwn): memory corruption and exploitation
- Network Security: analyzing traffic, protocols, and services
- Mobile Security: testing apps and platform security
- Cloud & Container Security: deployment, container, and cloud challenges
- Miscellaneous: logic, scripting, steganography, and programming
Why Participate?
- Test your skills against teams from across Nepal.
- Get recognized: outstanding teams and participants are acknowledged in the official announcement.
- Meet the community: the NCS2026 community connects participants with mentors and fellow hackers.
- Learn by hacking: nothing teaches security like solving real challenges under pressure.
Prizes & Recognition
Beyond qualifying for the Physical Round, outstanding teams and participants will be recognized according to the official competition announcement. Prize recipients may need to verify their eligibility and demonstrate that their solutions are valid before prizes are distributed. Prize details: [add from the official announcement].
Registration & Fees
Registration is per team, and the price rises as the deadline nears:
| Tier | When | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Early Registration | First 10 days | NPR 4,000 per team |
| Final Registration | Final 4 days | NPR 5,000 per team |
Both tiers include full team registration, access to the Online Qualifier, the official NCS2026 platform, eligibility for the Top 10 qualifier positions, and the chance to advance to the Physical Round. Over 200 participants have already joined.
Register here: ctf.virtualeventsnepal.com/register
Why This Event Matters for Nepal
Adhish Dhakal, President of the Rotaract Club of Lumbini Stars, has said that Nepal’s digital growth is moving faster than its digital safety. He argues that events like this should do more than host competitions: they should push for real data protection and spread awareness well beyond the tech community.
Tips to Prepare
- Practice on beginner-friendly platforms like picoCTF, TryHackMe, and Hack The Box.
- Build a balanced team, with people who each cover different categories.
- Read past write-ups and share your own in the NCS2026 community.
- Learn basic scripting in Python, since it helps in almost every category.
- Play smart, hack responsibly, and stay in scope.
Nepal Cyber Shield 2026 is a chance to sharpen your skills, meet Nepal’s security community, and represent your team on a national stage. Register early to get the lower fee, start practicing now, and see you on the scoreboard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Students, cybersecurity enthusiasts, ethical hackers, researchers, and professionals. Check the Rules page for team-size and eligibility details.
Both. The qualifier is online, and the top 10 teams compete in person in the Physical Round.
NPR 4,000 per team for early registration and NPR 5,000 per team for final registration.
King of the Hill, a live competition where teams compete for control of target systems.
On the official Schedule page. Dates: Oct 3 2026.
