It’s incredible to think that a decade has passed since the very first ZeroDays CTF took place at Generator Smithfield in Dublin. What started as a small inter-college competition with just 22 teams battling for the title of Ireland’s champions has evolved into something truly extraordinary.
Year after year, we’ve grown, expanding to include an Open category for graduates and industry professionals and then introducing the Cyber-Schools category in 2022, which allowed schools and coder-dojos to compete. Fast-forward to 2024, and we hit a record-breaking milestone: 130 teams and over 500 participants competed across the Irish Colleges, Open/Industry, and Cyber-Schools categories. That’s phenomenal growth from just 88 participants in our early days!
And 2025 marks our biggest leap yet. The Cyber-Schools CTF is spinning off into its standalone event, bringing together 50 teams at Astra Hall UCD (in partnership with UCD and TU Dublin) on March 19th. Meanwhile, ZeroDays CTF in Croke Park on March 22nd is introducing a brand-new International category, further raising the stakes. With both events combined, over 600 participants across 150 teams will join us to celebrate our tenth anniversary—our most ambitious event yet!
But success isn’t just measured in numbers. Our impact goes far beyond the competition floor. In the past few years, we’ve run CTFs for over 400 students in Dream Space Leopardstown and partnered with CyberWise to reach 300 more young minds. We have also run dedicated boot camps and workshops for new players and female players. Since launching Cyber-Schools CTF in 2022, our participants have proudly represented Ireland at the European Cyber Security Challenge in Norway (2023) and Italy (2024). Our Irish squad currently includes 10 secondary school students, proving that young talent is thriving.
We also celebrated a historic achievement—Ireland’s team captain, Cillian Collins, became the first Irish player ever to make Team Europe, competing in and winning the International CyberSecurity Challenge—the World Cup of CTFs! Meanwhile, in 2025, our players will take their skills to the next level, being recruited for Locked Shields, one of the world’s most prestigious cybersecurity exercises.
Our events have directly influenced students’ career paths, with cybersecurity enrollments skyrocketing—two-thirds of first-year computing students at TU Dublin, Blanchardstown, now choose cybersecurity. We’re also setting the standard for diversity in cybersecurity, with an impressive 40% female participation in Cyber-Schools CTF over the past three years. Plus, ZeroDays CTF and Team Ireland are truly all-island initiatives, with competitors from every corner of Ireland representing us on the European stage.
And yet—we’re just getting started. Our next big goal? A new competition for schools and colleges with regional rounds across Ireland, and an international tournament where Ireland’s best will go head-to-head with Europe’s elite.
But Here’s the Challenge…
While our success has been phenomenal, it hasn’t come without struggles. Funding and sustainability are now our biggest hurdles. This year, we’ve fought hard to keep things running, but as costs and workloads increase, resourcing is becoming a real issue.
We’re incredibly grateful for the support of our sponsors—without them, none of this would be possible, and for the support of the NCSC for Team Ireland/ECSC. But when we look at our nearest neighbors, we can’t help but take notice: the UK government invests nearly £500,000 annually to fund their team recruitment, qualifiers, and training. Meanwhile, we’re doing all of this—running the national competition, recruiting and training the national team, upskilling talent, and safeguarding Ireland’s cybersecurity future—on a shoestring budget and the dedication of volunteers.
The Future Is in Your Hands
We love what we do and want to keep doing it. But we need more help from Industry, Academia, and Government.
We are building the cybersecurity talent pipeline.
We are putting Ireland’s brightest minds on national and international stages.
We are capacity-building, strengthening our economy, and securing our digital future.
However, to sustain and expand this momentum, we urgently need long-term funding, ideally for a five-year strategic plan—one that ensures long-term growth, stability, and Ireland’s continued success on the global cybersecurity stage.
Now, it’s time to step up. If you believe in what we’re doing—if you want to see Ireland’s cybersecurity ecosystem continue to grow—we need your support.
Industry, Academia, Government—it’s over to you.
If you would like to support Zero Days, please reach out to Mark Lane: [email protected]
