Hack{h}erQuest

We will organize a Capture The Flag (CTF) competition on Saturday the 7th of February 2026 on the campus of Radboud University. The event is open to female high school- and (applied) university students (MBO, HBO, and WO).

The goal of the event is to:

Bring women together in a space where they can dive into cybersecurity, learn from each other, and build confidence in their skills. Cybersecurity can feel like a tough field to break into, especially with so few women represented.
Create a supportive, welcoming environment where women can practice, solve challenges, and show what they're capable of.
Encourage more women to explore and stick with cybersecurity, build connections, and feel empowered to take on bigger roles in this space.

Last year's edition

In 2025, we organized our first edition of HackherQuest, a Capture The Flag (CTF) competition exclusively for women. The event inspired many young women to join the field and explore their interest in cybersecurity.

The day started with an opening speech by our lovely chairwoman Novi, and some CTF tips from Lisanne. It was followed by a set of workshops form our amazing speakers: Professor Buhan, Anca Strulea, Harm Roukema, Michel de Boer, and Aliza Reif.

After lunch, the CTF competition started. The infrastructure of which was accounted for by student Cyber Security organisation StudSec. The participants were divided into teams of 3-4 people, and they had to solve a variety of cybersecurity challenges. The winning team was 'Jane Doe', who managed to beat the competition by a 100 point lead!

The day ended with a closing speech from Professor Samardjiska, who represented the Gender & Diversity ('GenDI') group of Radboud University. She talked about her journey in cybersecurity and her experience as a woman in the field. Overall, the event was a huge success, and we are already looking forward to the next edition! See you there?

All of this would not have been possible without the help of volunteers. Therefore, we offer our special thanks to: GenDI, StudSec, Professor Buhan, Professor Samardjiska, Aidan Stephenson, Anca Strulea, Harm Roukema, Michel de Boer, Jonathan Jagt, and other anonymous contributers.