European Cybersecurity Challenge
{{Short description|European Cybersecurity CTF Competition}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name = European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC)
| logo =
| logo_alt = ECSC Logo
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| status = Active
| frequency = Annual
| years_active = {{age|2014|11|03}}
| genre = CTF Competition
| begins =
| venue = Varies (within Europe)
| location = Europe
| prev = October 7–11, 2024
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| organised = ENISA
| website = {{URL|https://ecsc.eu/}}
| footnotes =
| first = {{start date|2014|11|3}}{{cite web|url=https://www.enisa.europa.eu/publications/the-european-cyber-security-challenge-lessons-learned-report/@@download/fullReport | title= ECSC Lessons Learned Report|access-date = 2024-06-14}}
}}
The European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC) is an annual cybersecurity competition organized by the European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA). The event aims to foster young talent in the field of cybersecurity by bringing together teams of young individuals from various European countries to compete in solving cybersecurity-related challenges. The challenge days are usually split between the two popular CTF formats: jeopardy and attack-defense.{{cite news |last1=Therkildsen |first1=Frederik |title=Jens Myrup Pedersens serviet-matematik spår en medalje er i sigtekornet til EM i cybersikkerhed |url=https://www.computerworld.dk/art/288960/jens-myrup-pedersens-serviet-matematik-spaar-en-medalje-er-i-sigtekornet-til-em-i-cybersikkerhed |access-date=7 November 2024 |publisher=Computerworld |date=10 October 2024}} Teams consist of at most 10 players under the age of 25, at most 5 of them over the age of 20. Each country runs national qualifiers and competitions as part of the selection process.{{cite news |last1=Middleton |first1=Sam |title=UK's best young cyber talent representing Britain in 2017 European Cyber Security Challenge |url=https://www.fenews.co.uk/skills/uk-s-best-young-cyber-talent-representing-britain-in-2017-european-cyber-security-challenge/ |access-date=1 July 2024 |publisher=FE News |date=31 October 2017}} It has been described as "the Eurovision of cybersecurity".{{cite news |last1=Darmody |first1=Jenny |title=Meet the students representing Ireland in 'the Eurovision of cybersecurity' |url=https://www.siliconrepublic.com/careers/ecsc-cybersecurity-eurovision-competition |access-date=1 July 2024 |publisher=Silicon Republic |date=16 September 2021}}{{cite web |title=ECSC: The 'Eurovision' of Cyber Security |url=https://informatics.tuwien.ac.at/news/2291 |website=TU Wien Informatics |access-date=13 September 2024 |language=en}}