UST will host a large-scale Capture The Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition as part of its GenCyS 2025 global virtual conference, scheduled for August 23–24, 2025. The event will highlight the company’s cybersecurity initiatives and explore the use of AI in security.
The CTF competition aims to identify skilled cybersecurity professionals from across India, with the top team set to win prizes valued at ₹7.5 lakh—including ₹1.5 lakh in cash and other rewards from partners such as Hack The Box and LetsDefend. Select participants may also receive job offers from UST, based on performance.
Registration for the CTF is open through July 30, with a preliminary online round on August 2. The top 50 teams will move on to the final, a 24-hour in-person competition at UST’s Thiruvananthapuram campus. The challenges will focus on solving real-world security problems, uncovering embedded flags in digital systems, and navigating live simulations. Participants will engage with topics such as AI in cybersecurity, defensive and offensive security (Red vs Blue Team), and threat response scenarios.
GenCyS 2025 will include technical workshops, speaker sessions, and expert panels focused on cybersecurity and the application of artificial intelligence in threat detection and mitigation. The conference will also open a call for research paper submissions and offer attendees hands-on training through scenario-based exercises.
Sunil Balakrishnan, Chief Values Officer and Global Head of Development Centre Operations at UST, noted that GenCyS 2025 reflects the company’s focus on developing cybersecurity talent and addressing evolving digital threats. Organized as part of COLORS of UST, the firm’s internal engagement program, the event is designed to foster learning, collaboration, and innovation across the security community.
Founded in 1999 and headquartered in Thiruvananthapuram, UST has grown its presence in key cities across India, including Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Coimbatore, Delhi NCR, Ahmedabad, and Hosur, employing over 20,000 people in the country.
