Cyber Security Challenge Belgium
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium is a Brussels-based non-profit running Belgium's largest annual cybersecurity competition since 2015, serving Belgian students and young graduates through CTF qualifiers and on-site finals, with sponsorship-funded operations and a dual-track structure feeding the national Red Daemons ECSC team.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersBrussels, Belgium
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cyber Security Challenge Belgium does
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium (CSCBE) is a Brussels-based non-profit organization (Cyber Security Challenge vzw) founded in 2015 that operates Belgium's largest and longest-running cybersecurity competition. It serves Belgian students and young graduates aged 16–25 through an annual competition cycle comprising online qualifiers and on-site finals at the Royal Military Academy, Brussels. The organization structures participation through two parallel tracks: the ECSC Track for Belgian nationals competing for selection to the Belgian Red Daemons national team (which represents Belgium at the European Cyber Security Challenge), and the Fun Track for verified students in Belgian higher education competing in drafted teams for prizes including training courses, tool licenses, and conference passes.
The core product is a CTFd-based competition platform hosted at ctf.cybersecuritychallenge.be, supporting registration, jeopardy-style challenge delivery across seven cybersecurity domains (cryptography, reverse engineering, pwn, web security, forensics, programming, and hardware), live scoreboards, and team management. A supplementary CTF 101 practice arena lowers entry barriers for newcomers. Each edition features 60+ challenges and draws 1000+ participants. The platform supports a multi-stage flow: solo registration, remote qualifiers, score-based track branching, live team drafting for the Fun Track, an on-site finals day, and for ECSC qualifiers, several months of elite expert-led training culminating in a 14-person national team.
CSCBE's business model is sponsorship-driven. Participation is free for all eligible participants; the organization generates no participant revenue. Operating costs are funded through a tiered sponsorship ecosystem comprising 11 main sponsors (including Thales, the Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium, Belgian Defence, Mastercard, NVISO, Wavestone, Easi, Cronos Security, Secutec, Naval Group, and the Cybersecurity Coalition), one official sponsor (Hex-Rays), four community partners (Takto, KPMG, BDO, Belfius), and prize partners (Intigriti, SANS, BruCON, OWASP), alongside 30+ academic institution partners. Sponsors receive brand visibility, branded challenge creation opportunities, and direct recruitment access to top-performing participants, positioning CSCBE as a talent pipeline for the Belgian cybersecurity industry.
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cyber Security Challenge Belgium
- Legal name
- Cyber Security Challenge vzw
- Website
- https://cybersecuritychallenge.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cyber Security Challenge Belgium is a Brussels-based non-profit running Belgium's largest annual cybersecurity competition since 2015, serving Belgian students and young graduates through CTF qualifiers and on-site finals, with sponsorship-funded operations and a dual-track structure feeding the national Red Daemons ECSC team.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cybersecurity Competitions & Talent Development
- NAICS
- Computer Training (611420)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cybersecurity Learning Platforms (EDAFANAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs (BPAEANAF), Cybersecurity (General) (EDAOAIAB), Penetration Testing, Red Team & Ethical Hacking (EDAOAIAH)
Keywords
Where Cyber Security Challenge Belgium is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brussels
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship and Partner Funding: The competition is funded through partnerships with main sponsors (Thales, CCB, Belgian Defence, NVISO, Mastercard, Cronos Security, Secutec, Naval Group, Easi, Wavestone, Cybersecurity Coalition), official sponsors (Hex-Rays), community partners (Takto, KPMG, BDO, Belfius), and prize partners (Intigriti, SANS, BruCON, OWASP). Sponsors receive visibility, recruitment access to talent, and branded challenge creation.
- Participant Registration (Free): Participation in the competition is free for all eligible participants. Registration is individual and self-serve through the online CTF platform. No revenue is generated directly from participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free participation for all eligible participants |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium organises an annual national cybersecurity competition consisting of an online qualifier round and an on-site finals event, run in two tracks: an ECSC Track for Belgian nationals and a Student Fun Track for Belgian students. The competition is delivered through a CTFd-based platform and is supplemented by CTF 101 practice challenges for newcomers. The programme functions as Belgium's official talent pipeline to the European Cyber Security Challenge.
Product overview
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium operates a unified competition ecosystem consisting of an online CTF platform (ctf.cybersecuritychallenge.be) for challenge execution and scoring, CTF 101 practice arena for skill development, and the annual flagship cybersecurity competition event. The competition features two parallel tracks: the ECSC Track for individual Belgian nationals competing for European Cyber Security Challenge qualification, and the Fun Track for student teams competing for prizes. All tracks feature challenges across cybersecurity domains including cryptography, reverse engineering, pwn, web security, forensics, programming, and hardware.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Annual Cyber Security Challenge Competition
- ECSC Track
Quantifiable outcome
- Belgium's premier annual cybersecurity competition with 10+ editions and 1000+ participants per year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Cyber Security Challenge Belgium
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered main sponsor, official sponsor, prize partner, community partner, core and flagship.
- Thalesmain sponsorThales is a main sponsor of Cyber Security Challenge Belgium. The company creates expert-level challenges for the competition and uses the event as a talent recruitment platform for cybersecurity professionals. Thales provides branded expert challenges on the CTF platform (e.g., Thales Expert Challenges worth up to 90/100 points).
- Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB)main sponsorCCB is a main sponsor and prize partner of CSCBE. As Belgium's national cybersecurity authority, CCB supports the competition to foster national cybersecurity talent development and strengthen Belgium's cybersecurity workforce.
- Wavestonemain sponsorWavestone is a main sponsor of CSCBE, contributing to the competition's prize pool and using the event for talent identification in the cybersecurity consulting space.
- Belgian Defencemain sponsorBelgian Defence is a main sponsor and prize partner of CSCBE. The organization supports the competition as part of its broader effort to attract technical talent and strengthen national cybersecurity capabilities.
- Easimain sponsorEasi is a main sponsor of CSCBE, creating expert challenges (e.g., Easi 85/100) on the competition platform as part of its talent recruitment and brand visibility strategy.
- Cybersecurity Coalitionmain sponsorThe Cybersecurity Coalition is a main sponsor of CSCBE, representing a consortium of Belgian cybersecurity companies that collectively support the competition as a talent pipeline.
- NVISOmain sponsorNVISO is a main sponsor of CSCBE, using the competition to connect with and recruit top cybersecurity talent in Belgium.
- Mastercardmain sponsorMastercard is a main sponsor of CSCBE, creating expert challenges (e.g., Mastercard 100/100) on the CTF platform as part of its technology talent recruitment in Belgium.
- Cronos Securitymain sponsorCronos Security is a main sponsor of CSCBE, contributing to the expert challenge set (e.g., Cronos 71/100) and using the event for cybersecurity talent recruitment.
- Secutecmain sponsorSecutec is a main sponsor of CSCBE, providing expert challenges and leveraging the competition as a recruitment channel for cybersecurity professionals.
- Naval Groupmain sponsorNaval Group is a main sponsor of CSCBE, creating expert challenges (e.g., Naval) on the competition platform and using the event to identify cybersecurity talent for the defence and maritime technology sector.
- Hex-Raysofficial sponsorHex-Rays is an official sponsor and prize partner of CSCBE, providing software licenses and tools as prizes for competition winners in the reverse engineering and binary analysis domain.
- Intigritiprize partnerIntigriti is a prize partner of CSCBE, providing bug bounty and ethical hacking platform access or licenses as prizes for winning participants.
- SANSprize partnerSANS is a prize partner of CSCBE, providing premium cybersecurity training course access as prizes for Fun Track winning teams.
- BruCONprize partnerBruCON is a prize partner of CSCBE, providing conference passes and cybersecurity community access as prizes for competition winners.
- OWASPprize partnerOWASP is a prize partner of CSCBE, providing resources and community recognition as prizes for web security-focused competition winners.
- Taktocommunity partnerTakto is a community partner of CSCBE, supporting the competition's outreach to students and young cybersecurity enthusiasts in Belgium.
- KPMGcommunity partnerKPMG is a community partner of CSCBE, supporting the competition as part of its cybersecurity practice's talent development and employer branding initiatives.
- BDOcommunity partnerBDO is a community partner of CSCBE, using the competition to connect with and recruit emerging cybersecurity talent.
- Belfiuscommunity partnerBelfius is a community partner of CSCBE, supporting the competition as part of its digital and cybersecurity innovation initiatives.
- Belgian Red DaemonscoreThe Belgian Red Daemons is Belgium's national cybersecurity competition team, selected through CSCBE's ECSC Track. The team represents Belgium at the annual European Cyber Security Challenge against 30+ national teams. CSCBE organizes the selection process, training program, and ultimately forms the team.
- European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC)flagshipThe European Cyber Security Challenge is the premier international youth cybersecurity competition organized across European countries. CSCBE serves as Belgium's national qualifier and team selection mechanism for ECSC. The top 14 performers from CSCBE's ECSC Track (5 seniors, 5 juniors, 4 backups) represent Belgium at ECSC finals with all expenses paid.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- CTFtime: The central community hub and ranking platform for CTF competitions worldwide. Comparable as adjacent infrastructure in the same ecosystem — CSCBE competitions are listed and ranked on CTFtime, making it a peer channel rather than direct competitor.
Broad incumbents
- Hack The Box: Commercial cybersecurity upskilling and talent assessment platform used by enterprises and individuals globally. Broader incumbent offering continuous training content vs CSCBE's annual competition cadence, but competes for the same audience of aspiring cyber professionals and corporate sponsors.
- TryHackMe: Subscription-based cybersecurity training platform with gamified learning paths covering pen testing, defensive security, and CTFs. A larger incumbent offering continuous skill development that complements (and competes for the same participants' attention as) competition-based learning.
Direct peers
- Cybersecurity Challenge France: France's national ECSC qualifier, running the same model (national selection → ECSC representation). Directly comparable peer as another country-level qualifier feeding into the ECSC ecosystem.
- European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC): ENISA-organized annual international youth CTF competition. CSCBE is Belgium's official national qualifier for ECSC, making ECSC the parent/umbrella program and the most directly comparable counterpart at the international level.
- picoCTF: Carnegie Mellon's large-scale educational CTF platform targeting middle school, high school, and university students. Comparable as a gamified cybersecurity learning platform using CTF mechanics for skill development and talent discovery.
- Cyber Security Challenge UK: UK's flagship national cybersecurity talent competition, very similar in structure: national qualifiers, training programs, and selection pathways. Operates as a sister national challenge program with an analogous model.
Others
- NVISO: Belgian cybersecurity consultancy and CSCBE main sponsor. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; both operate in the Belgian cybersecurity talent ecosystem, with NVISO leveraging CSCBE as a recruiting channel.
- BruCON: Belgium's annual hacker/security conference and a CSCBE prize partner. Comparable as adjacent Belgian cybersecurity community platform; both target the same Belgian cyber community and sponsor base, with BruCON providing year-round gathering vs CSCBE's annual competition.
- Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB): Belgium's national cybersecurity authority and CSCBE main sponsor. Adjacent public-sector counterpart that funds and supports CSCBE as part of national workforce development; both are central nodes in Belgium's cybersecurity talent pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium social profiles
Digital presenceCyber Security Challenge Belgium financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cyber Security Challenge Belgium
What does Cyber Security Challenge Belgium do?
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium organises an annual national cybersecurity competition consisting of an online qualifier round and an on-site finals event, run in two tracks: an ECSC Track for Belgian nationals and a Student Fun Track for Belgian students. The competition is delivered through a CTFd-based platform and is supplemented by CTF 101 practice challenges for newcomers. The programme functions as Belgium's official talent pipeline to the European Cyber Security Challenge.
Is Cyber Security Challenge Belgium a public or private company?
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Cyber Security Challenge Belgium founded?
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium was founded in 2015. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cyber Security Challenge Belgium based?
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Cyber Security Challenge Belgium make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Sponsorship and Partner Funding is the primary driver. The others are participant Registration (Free).
Who are Cyber Security Challenge Belgium's main competitors?
CTFtime is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Hack The Box and TryHackMe. Direct peers are Cybersecurity Challenge France, European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC), picoCTF and Cyber Security Challenge UK. Others are NVISO, BruCON and Centre for Cybersecurity Belgium (CCB).
Does Cyber Security Challenge Belgium have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cyber Security Challenge Belgium.
What industry is Cyber Security Challenge Belgium in?
Cyber Security Challenge Belgium's product category is Cybersecurity Competitions & Talent Development. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAFANAF, Cybersecurity Learning Platforms, with a secondary code of BPAEANAF, Cybersecurity Training & Awareness Programs. Its NAICS code is 611420.