New Cybersecurity Competition to Launch for Veterans
The 72-hour capture-the-flag event provides participants with free technical training and access to SANS skill subscriptions.
Updated on Oct. 26, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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The SANS Institute and ACT Now Education are hosting a 72-hour capture-the-flag cybersecurity competition for veterans and military-connected individuals. The event, scheduled to take place from November 11 to November 14, 2026, offers participants hands-on training on the Ranges.io platform.
Why it matters
This competition provides military-connected individuals with a no-cost avenue to build practical cybersecurity skills. It highlights a recurring effort to bridge the workforce gap by connecting service members to specialized technical training environments.
The 72-hour event uses a gamified format hosted on the Ranges.io platform. Scoring is determined by hit rate, with fastest challenge completion time serving as the official tie-breaker.
The players
SANS Institute
Established in 1989, this organization provides cybersecurity training, certification, and research for industry professionals.
ACT Now Education
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2021 that focuses on providing cybersecurity education and career resources to the military community.
The details
Participants engage in hands-on cybersecurity challenges designed to simulate real-world incident response scenarios. The platform, Ranges.io, provides an interactive environment where users work through technical tasks. Winners are selected based on their total hit rate, a metric assessing the accuracy and success of their completed security tasks within the allotted 72 hours.
Timeline
Registration closes on November 9, 2026, at 12 p.m. ET.
An orientation webinar takes place on November 10, 2026, at 1 p.m. ET.
The competition begins on November 11, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET.
The competition concludes on November 14, 2026, at 9 a.m. ET.
The Tech Race
This competition functions as an accessible entry point to the broader training ecosystem maintained by SANS Skills Quest. It aligns with industry-wide initiatives to professionalize cybersecurity talent pipelines by replacing traditional recruitment with verifiable skill-based performance.
Veterans and military-connected individuals can participate for free, provided they register before the November 9 deadline. Successful top performers receive a subscription to SANS Skills Quest, though previous contest winners are ineligible for these prizes.
The takeaway
This event offers a verifiable benchmark of technical aptitude for military-connected participants. Interested candidates should monitor the event performance criteria and ensure registration is completed before the November 9, 2026, cutoff.
Further reading
For broader trends in technical talent development, visit Cybersecurity.
More information
To register for the event, visit the orientation webinar registration page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Manila times.
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