Territorial Army Launches Terrier Cyber Quest 2026

The Territorial Army of India launched Terrier Cyber Quest 2026 (TCQ 3.0) on 21 August 2026 in partnership with CyberPeace. The national hackathon focuses on indigenous defence and digital security solutions and includes three competition tracks for students, startups, security researchers, and digital content creators.

Terrier Cyber Quest as a National Hackathon

Terrier Cyber Quest is the third edition of the Territorial Army’s cyber hackathon series. The 2026 edition opened registrations on 30 July 2026 and extended the final deadline to 31 August 2026. The event is organised as a national-level competition for cyber defence and technology development.

Competition Tracks in TCQ 3.0

The Bug Hunting track includes an online Capture-the-Flag qualifier and a 36-hour live sandbox finale. Finalists in this track must identify and document vulnerabilities in simulated critical infrastructure. The AI Kavach track invites solutions based on machine learning and artificial intelligence for automated cyber defence, predictive threat intelligence, and anomaly detection. The National Creators Challenge asks digital content creators to design educational media campaigns against deepfakes, phishing, and misinformation.

Selection Process and Finale Schedule

The online screening and shortlisting phase for all registrations is scheduled from 1 September to 10 September 2026. Shortlisted finalists will compete in person in New Delhi during the Grand Finale from 6 October to 8 October 2026. The concluding ceremony is scheduled for 9 October 2026.

Important Facts for Exams

• The Territorial Army is a part-time reserve force of the Indian Army.
• Capture-the-Flag is a standard cyber security competition format used for testing offensive and defensive skills.
• Artificial intelligence is used in cyber security for anomaly detection and threat prediction.
• Deepfakes, phishing, and misinformation are common digital threats in online information ecosystems.

Exam-Relevant Context

CyberPeace is an Indian cyber security non-profit organisation. The Ministry of Defence is associated with the shortlisting phase of the hackathon. The Grand Finale and award ceremony are scheduled in New Delhi in October 2026.