On March 27–28, the prestigious International Cybersecurity CTF 2026 competition took place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, bringing together 100 leading university teams from 17 countries. Among them was Yerevan State University's sudo YSU team, the sole representative of Armenia.
The competition, organized by the Central Asian University of Tashkent, was held in a spacious hall equipped with advanced high-tech infrastructure, where an atmosphere of intense competition prevailed. Strict rules were enforced: team leaders were prohibited from entering the working area, and a dedicated group of volunteers ensured that no artificial intelligence tools or unauthorized devices were used during the problem-solving process.
In the competition, the sudo YSU team ranked among the top thirty.
Reflecting on the team's participation, team leader Narine Martirosyan, a lecturer at the Chair of Programming and Information Technologies, emphasized, "Our students upheld the honor of the university not only through their professional knowledge, but also through their organization, unity, and fighting spirit."
Notably, the team's leading member, Sandro Hakobyan, who was unable to participate this time due to competition restrictions, continued to actively coach the team, sharing his experience and skills with newer members.
The competition also provided students with the opportunity to build connections with participants from different countries, further strengthening international ties. On the final day, a city tour allowed participants to explore Tashkent's historical and cultural landmarks and taste traditional Uzbek plov.
This participation once again demonstrated that YSU students are competitive on the international stage and ready to take on the most complex challenges in cybersecurity.
