Team roticanai_better, comprising four Malaysian university students, including two from APU’s FSEC-SS, secured an impressive second-place finish at the Eschaton CTF 2026 Finals in Kochi, India, after advancing from a highly competitive qualifier involving 346 teams from 24 countries, highlighting both their resilience and the growing strength of Malaysia’s cyber security talent on the global stage.

Demonstrating exceptional skill, collaboration, and resilience, a team of four Malaysian university students — including two from Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation’s (APU) Forensics and Cyber Security Research Centre – Student Section (FSEC-SS) — secured an impressive second-place finish at the Eschaton CTF 2026 Finals held in Kochi, India.

The students Hong Rui Yi and Tong Yi Xin from APU’s FSEC-SS joined forces with Syihab Dhiaulhaq Mohd. Khairil Shahrizal from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (UNITEN) and Haziq ‘Izzuddin Mohd. Shukri from Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) competing under the team’s name roticanai_better.

The Eschaton CTF Qualifiers online challenge brought together an impressive 346 teams from 24 countries for a gruelling 24-hour, Jeopardy-style cybersecurity competition on 31 January 2026.

Organised by the MITS Cyber Security Club (MCSC), only the top 10 teams advanced to the highly anticipated onsite finals.

After successfully navigating the online qualifiers, they travelled to India to face some of the world’s top cybersecurity talents in a high-pressure, real-time competitive environment.

Representing Malaysia on the international stage, roticanai_better advanced to the finals held on 6 March 2026 in Kochi, where the competition format intensified into an Attack & Defence CTF. 

The team ultimately finished as First Runner-Up, trailing only behind the LLM Team from Russia’s Central University, while third place went to CUT, also from Russia. 

The team’s journey to the finals was marked by strong collaboration across institutions, combining talent from APU, UNITEN, and UniKL. 

On the day of the finals, the team arrived early and was warmly welcomed by the organisers. Thoughtful preparations, including customised merchandise at their assigned station, helped set a positive tone for the day. 

The competition began with a 30-minute preparation phase, during which teams configured their systems and infrastructure.

Demonstrating strategic foresight, Hong Rui Yi had assigned clear roles and responsibilities to each team member prior to the competition. This structured approach paid off early, as roticanai_better surged ahead, at one point achieving nearly three times the score of the second-placed team.

However, as the competition progressed, the team encountered technical challenges in patching several services, allowing their closest rivals to close the gap. Despite eventually resolving these issues, the opposing team maintained strong offensive and defensive strategies, steadily accumulating points and ultimately overtaking roticanai_better.

Undeterred, the team secured an outstanding second-place finish, concluding the competition just over 400 points behind the champions. 

Resilience, teamwork and global exposure

Given the team’s limited rest, logistical hurdles, and relatively limited experience in Attack & Defence-style competitions, the result reflected remarkable resilience, teamwork, and technical expertise.

Notably, APU representatives Hong Rui Yi and Tong Yi Xin were active members of the FSEC-SS, guided by their mentors, Assistant Professor Nor Azlina Abd Rahman and Ms Noris Ismail. 

Their achievement underscored the growing strength of APU’s cyber security talent and its rising presence on the global stage.

Reflecting on the experience, Tong Yi Xin shared that it was his first time participating in the Eschaton CTF. He highlighted problem-solving and adaptability as key skills he had developed throughout the competition.

“Solving diverse challenges under pressure and adapting to a completely new competition format were invaluable learning experiences,” he said.

He also shared that his participation in the finals came after being invited by Hong Rui Yi following their qualification, an opportunity he readily embraced.

Hong Rui Yi added that the selection process itself had been highly competitive, with many talented participants vying for a place in the finals.

“We felt fortunate to qualify. The experience gave us deeper insight into how Attack and Defence CTFs operate and provided valuable hands-on exposure,” he explained.

He also praised the organisers for delivering a well-executed event.

“The competition was exceptionally well organised. The organisers were very friendly, provided meals, and even offered to show us around India. It was inspiring to see teams from around the world competing for a place on the podium,” he added.

Looking ahead, the team aimed to participate in upcoming competitions such as UMCS and Hacktheon Sejong, with hopes of once again qualifying for the finals.

This remarkable achievement not only highlighted the capabilities of APU’s FSEC-SS students and their collaborators but also signalled a promising future for Malaysia in the global cyber security arena.