Executive Summary

Team Europe has once again demonstrated its dominance in the global cybersecurity skills landscape by winning the 4th International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC). The event, held in Tokyo, Japan, concluded on November 14, 2025, with the European team securing the top spot for the fourth consecutive year. The competition, which involves a series of complex Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges, brought together the best young talents from eight international regions. The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA), which organizes and trains Team Europe, celebrated the win as a testament to its investment in future cyber resilience.

Event Overview

The International Cybersecurity Challenge is an annual event that aims to:

• Foster talent and develop cybersecurity skills among young professionals.
• Promote international cooperation and friendly competition.
• Raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity education.

This year's competition in Tokyo featured teams from eight regions, representing over 80 countries:

• Africa
• Asia
• ASEAN
• Canada
• Europe
• Latin America
• Oceania
• United States

Teams competed in a variety of challenges designed to test their skills in areas like cryptography, reverse engineering, web security, forensics, and penetration testing.

Results and Recognition

• 1st Place: Team Europe
• 2nd Place: Team Asia
• 3rd Place: US Cyber Team

Juhan Lepassaar, the Executive Director of ENISA, praised the event's role in building future cyber resilience and highlighted the immense talent of the young generation. The success of Team Europe is attributed to a rigorous selection and training process managed by ENISA, which includes bootcamps and online sessions to build both technical and teamwork skills.

Fostering Diversity and Future Growth

Following the success of the ICC, ENISA is also promoting the 2025 Kunoichi Cyber Games, an all-female cybersecurity competition. This initiative aims to encourage more women to enter the cybersecurity field and address the industry's gender diversity gap. These events are part of a broader strategy to build a larger and more diverse talent pool to meet the growing global demand for cybersecurity experts.