Bridging the cybersecurity skills gap through gamification: the Great AppSec Hackathon model

Singupuram, Sai Krishna and Javed, Amir ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9761-0945 2026. Bridging the cybersecurity skills gap through gamification: the Great AppSec Hackathon model. Presented at: ICCS 2025, Singapore, Republic of Singapore, 7-9 July 2025. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

As digital transformation accelerates globally, cybersecurity has evolved from a technical necessity to a critical business imperative. Despite near-zero unemployment in the cybersecurity domain, organizations struggle to find job-ready professionals with hands-on skills. This paper presents the Great AppSec Hackathon model, a gamified learning approach that successfully bridges the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. Through structured pre-event training, focused application security challenges, and industry engagement, the program scaled from 2,000 to over 10,000 participants across 24 Indian states, 3 Union Territories, and 20 countries. We demonstrate how this model creates a sustainable pipeline of skilled cybersecurity professionals while providing organizations with validated talent identification mechanisms.

Item Type:	Conference or Workshop Item - published (Paper)
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Computer Science & Informatics
Related URLs:	https://www.iccs-meeting.org/iccs2025/
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	13 February 2026
Last Modified:	18 Feb 2026 11:30
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/184815

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