Requirements

Who Can Participate

Open to all currently enrolled university students (Bachelor's or Master's). Participants must have no current or prior affiliation with the Network Security Group (NetSec) at ETH Zürich or Zürcher Kantonalbank — including employment, internships, or research collaborations.

Team Composition

Teams of 1 to 3 members. All members must individually meet the eligibility criteria above, and each participant may only be part of one team.

Submission Guidelines

• Language: English only.
• Format: 3 pages (excluding references), typeset in LaTeX using the provided template.
• Submission: Register your team and upload your proposal via the platform below. One submission per team.

Project Scope

The competition runs across three tracks, each capped at 10 teams.

• Networking, Routing Security, and SCION
• Authorization, Authentication, E-ID
• Fintech Security

Evaluation Criteria

A panel of experts will evaluate your submission. They're looking for ideas that are bold, grounded, and matter beyond the classroom.

• Innovativeness: How original is the idea? Does it push beyond what already exists?
• Security Impact: Does it meaningfully reduce risk, close gaps, or raise the bar for security?
• Sustainability: Does it consider long-term viability — technically, environmentally, or operationally?
• Startup Potential: Could this become a product or company? Is there a real path to market?
• Business Value: Does it solve a real pain point with measurable value for businesses or users?
• Practicality: Can it actually be built and deployed? Is the scope realistic?
• Submission Quality: Is the writing clear, the argument well-structured, and the supporting material convincing?