Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) Forensics and Cyber Security Research Centre – Student Section (FSeC-SS) secured an impressive hat-trick of podium finishes at the International Hack@10 CTF 2026, organised by Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), winning second, third, and fourth place against teams from 11 institutions, which highlighted APU students’ strong cybersecurity expertise, teamwork, and competitive spirit.

Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) Forensics and Cyber Security Research Centre – Student Section (FSeC-SS) celebrated an outstanding achievement after its teams secured a hat-trick of podium finishes at the International Hack@10 Capture The Flag (CTF) 2026 competition. 

Organised by Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN), the event served as a flagship ethical hacking competition that brought together some of the region’s most talented cyber security students.

Competing against 105 teams during the qualifying stage and 25 finalist teams from 11 institutions — including an international team from Turkmenistan — APU students demonstrated exceptional technical expertise, teamwork, and resilience during the final round held at the UNITEN Information Resource Centre (IRC), Putrajaya on 18 April 2026.

Team GRINDB4GRAD from Universiti Kuala Lumpur Malaysian Institute of Information Technology (UniKL MIIT) emerged as the overall champion. 

Team TomYamFanClub (APU) claimed second place, followed by A1sC3nd0l (APU) in third place and J0bl3ss (APU) in fourth place, while UNITEN completed the top five.

Reflecting on the achievement, Ho Kar Seng from team TomYamFanClub shared that the atmosphere throughout the competition had been both exciting and intense.

“Being surrounded by teams that were equally determined made the experience even more thrilling. Finishing in second place still feels surreal,” he said.

Tong Yi Xin added that the competition had been especially meaningful as it showcased the dedication and teamwork demonstrated by APU students throughout the event.

Meanwhile, Ivan Choong Chee Ern described the experience as an excellent opportunity to meet new people, explore a new university environment, and gain valuable exposure in competitive cybersecurity challenges.

Team A1sC3nd0l also described the competition as particularly memorable after climbing from 23rd place during the qualifiers to ultimately securing third place in the finals. 

The J0bl3ss team highlighted that despite returning from a long competitive break, the team had still managed to perform strongly against highly skilled opponents.

The success of the teams was further strengthened through the guidance and mentorship provided by Assistant Professor Nor Azlina Abdul Rahman and Ms Noris Ismail, whose continuous encouragement helped shape the students’ technical preparation and competitive mindset. 

Special appreciation was also extended to Mr Shahab Alizadeh, Senior Lecturer from School of Technology (SoT), for providing valuable technical mentorship and exposing students to real-world cybersecurity challenges through CTF training.

The achievement reflected APU’s strong commitment to nurturing industry-ready cybersecurity talent by encouraging students to participate actively in national and international competitions. 

Through exposure to high-pressure, real-world environments, APU continued to develop graduates equipped with practical expertise, innovation, and competitive skills relevant to the rapidly evolving cybersecurity industry.

The success at Hack@10 CTF 2026 further reinforced APU’s reputation as a leading institution in cyber security education and competitive excellence, with the university looking forward to even greater achievements in future competitions.