AI Hackathon @ IT-Kongress
Hacker’s Mindset – Analyse. Understand. Protect. The AI Warfare Hackathon 2026 at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences is all about cybersecurity, OSINT, social engineering and the use of AI. In realistic challenges, you’ll analyse digital attack scenarios, identify risks and work as a team to develop well-founded solutions. Show us what you can do and rise to this challenge!
Show what you can do!
- Tackle realistic challenges in cybersecurity, OSINT and social engineering
- Use AI as a tool to piece together clues, identify patterns and analyse attacks
- Work as a team, develop your strategy and ultimately impress the judges with your solution
Your host
With the Neu-Ulm | Ulm IT Congress (opens in a new window), Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences brings the latest tech trends and practical IT solutions to campus every year—ideal for anyone who wants to keep their finger on the pulse of the digital future. The event connects companies, researchers, and students and offers exciting insights into IT topics that are truly relevant. Since 2010, several hundred participants have been meeting in November to exchange ideas about developments, concepts, and applications—a perfect setting for our hackathon.
By registering for the hackathon, you automatically become guests at the 2026 IT Congress!
Your challenge
AccessJammer (AJ) used to be part of the threat himself and moved in shady or underhand circles. He knew how to piece together publicly available information, OSINT, social engineering and digital traces into a dangerous overall picture, and how easily an organisation can become a target if its digital footprint reveals too much. But at some point he went too far, was caught following a serious incident, and found himself behind bars. That breakdown became a turning point. Today he is back. Anonymous, masked, faceless – because his past would catch up with him if his identity were to be revealed. He has switched sides. Not to cause harm, but to show how an attacker thinks, how easily publicly available information can be misused, and how AI can be a game-changer in this context, because it connects clues more quickly, recognises patterns earlier and, in no time at all, pieces together a dangerous overall picture from individual details.
You will receive all the details about the task directly on site!
Participants compete in teams and must complete various challenges to understand a simulated attack chain, identify vulnerabilities and ultimately emerge as the best team of analysts. The individual tasks are interlinked, much like the phases of a simulated attack: from gathering information, recognising patterns and understanding attempts at deception, to correctly interpreting digital traces and assessing priorities and risks. In the end, it is not the team that attacks most effectively that wins, but the team that understands best, analyses most thoroughly and adopts the defender’s perspective.
The specific target of this scenario remains deliberately undisclosed until the hackathon begins.
1.
You are a registered student at HNU or another university.
2.
You’re keen on cybersecurity, open-source intelligence, social engineering and AI – prior knowledge is helpful but not essential.
3.
You’re curious, have an analytical mind and a team spirit, and are ready to immerse yourself in a real-life cyber scenario for three days.
Here's what you can look forward to
| Wednesday | November 12 | |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Check-in & arrival |
| 9:30 | Welcome and official opening |
| 9:45 | Mission briefing |
| 10:15 | Threat Intelligence & Security Assessment – Phase I |
| 13:00 | Snacks & networking |
| 14:00 | Threat Intelligence & Security Assessment – Phase II |
| 18:00 | Wrap-up & Outlook for Day 2 |
| Day 2 | Wednesday, November 11 | |
|---|---|
| 9:00 | Threat Intelligence & Security Assessment – Phase III |
| 13:00 | Refreshments & networking |
| 14:00 | From Findings to Defence – Preparing the presentation |
| 15:30 | Finalising & submitting the results |
| 16:00 | Pitches to the jury |
| 18:00 | Wrap-up & preview of Day 3 |
| Day 3 | Thursday, 12 November | |
|---|---|
| 08:00 | Announcement of the three finalist teams |
| 08:30 | Final Briefing and Feedback |
| 09:00 | Start of the IT trade fair |
| 13:30 | Final Pitches @ IT Congress |
Awards
Prizes
The top teams from the AI Warfare Hackathon will be honoured during the IT Congress. As well as the awards ceremony, exciting prizes await the finalist teams.
Award ceremony
The award ceremony will take place live and publicly during the IT Congress.
FAQ
How can I apply?
For HNU students
Registration takes place via the compulsory elective module ‘Hacker’s Mindset – Analyse. Understand. Protect.’.
Successful participation in the AI Warfare Hackathon counts towards 2 ECTS credits.*
For external students
Students from other higher education institutions and universities can register for the AI Warfare Hackathon directly via the website. Each participant must clarify with their own university or college whether their participation will be recognised.
*Note: Elective modules can normally only be taken from the third semester onwards. Students in earlier semesters may nevertheless take part in the hackathon. The subsequent awarding of the 2 ECTS credits will be reviewed and considered, but cannot be guaranteed.
Can I participate as an individual?
You can register either as an individual or as part of a team. Teams can consist of up to five people.
If you don’t (yet) have a team but don’t want to compete on your own, you can team up with others – we’ll take care of the organisation. If this applies to you, please let us know when you register.
How much will the event cost me?
The event is free of charge, including refreshments.
What criteria are used to decide?
The winning projects will be selected by a panel of experts based on the following criteria:
- Quality of the analysis
- Identification of correlations and attack patterns
- Risk assessment
- Development of effective protective measures
- Presentation and reasoning
How do I get to the venue and where can I stay overnight?
The event will take place in the Innovation Space at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences (marked with an “I” on the map). The organization of your overnight stay is in your hands - so you can plan flexibly according to your own wishes. The Orange Hotel (opens in a new window) or B&B Hotel Neu-Ulm (opens in a new window), both of which are located in the immediate vicinity of the Wiley Campus, are suitable options.
