TCS HackQuest 2024

TCS HackQuest Season 8 

All the important details about TCS HackQuest Season 8 is given here on this page.

It is an online contest organized by TCS (Tata Consultancy Services) to test the skills of students in cybersecurity domain.

Go through the page to get all the essential details of TCS HackQuest 2024.

TCS HackQuest 2024

About TCS HackQuest 2024

  • TCS HackQuest 2024 is on online contest based on the popular ‘Catch the Flag’ (CTF) format.
  • In this contest, participants are given a set of challenges to complete within 6 hours, and has challenges in three categories:
    • Beginner
    • Intermediate
    • Expert
  • Participants can choose challenges from any category and are encouraged to try all of them.
  • The winners of the contest can get special prizes and job offers from TCS in the cybersecurity unit.
TCS HackQuest Information
Total Number of Rounds 2 Rounds
Mode of Contest Online
Contest Date 27th January, 2024
Registration Ends on 23rd January, 2024

Eligibility Criteria:

  • The Contest is open to students (enrolled in any recognized college /university / academic institute) in India who will be graduating in the academic year 2024 with any of the following degrees in any specialization:
    • Bachelor of Technology (B. Tech)
    • Bachelor of Engineering (B.E)
    • Master of Technology (M. Tech)
    • Master of Engineering (M.E.)
    • Bachelor of Computer Applications (B.C.A.)
    • Master of Computer Applications (M.C.A.)
    • Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. – B.S.)
    • Master of Science (M.Sc. – M.S.)

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TCS HackQuest Registration Process 2024

  1. Go to the TCS HackQuest Website.
  2. Then click on the Register now button.
  3. Now If you have a valid TCS NextStep reference ID (CT/DT number) and Password then register through it otherwise you have to create new account and only then you can register.
  4. To create a valid TCS NextStep reference ID (CT/DT number), participant needs to login to the TCS NextStep in the ‘IT’ section, fill the required fields, and submit.
  5. After that you will receive a pop-up with the TCS NextStep reference ID (CT/DT number).
  6. Now you need to fill your personal Details along with TCS NextStep reference ID (CT/DT number) to proceed the form.
  7. You will be asked to enter your Aadhar Card Number.
  8. Verify the details again and then click on the submit button to submit your form.
  9. You will receive a confirmation mail from TCS.

TCS HackQuest Test Pattern 2024

TCS will be conducting 2 rounds for the Season 8 contest.

Generally, the test pattern for the contest is given as :

Awards

In TCS HackQuest 2024, all top performing participants will be awarded special prizes and potential job offers from TCS in the cybersecurity unit.

TCS HackQuest 2024- Awards

TCS HackQuest Rounds 2024

This round will be an online challenge-based test where participants will log in to an online application and solve challenge statements that will test their ethical hacking skills and their specific competency in security challenges.

  • The set of challenge statements will be presented in three categories :-

1. Beginner level challenges:

    • This set of challenges  is designed for those with little to no experience in cybersecurity.
    • These challenges focus on the fundamentals of cybersecurity, know-how of fundamental tools and techniques.
    • The challenges will include topics such as password cracking, simple encryption, and basic network vulnerabilities.

2. Intermediate level challenges:

    • This set of challenges  will test your problem-solving abilities and creative thinking skills.
    • These challenges will include topics such as web application security, SQL injection, and network analysis.
    • You need to have a deeper understanding of common vulnerabilities and exploitation techniques..

3. Expert level challenges:

    • This set of challenges  will test your understanding of cybersecurity principles, and the ability to think outside the box.
    • These challenges will include advanced topics like reverse engineering, advanced cryptography, and sophisticated penetration testing.
    • You need to have a deep understanding of multiple cybersecurity domains.
  • In this round, participants have 6 hours to solve challenges in their chosen category and submit the flags they capture online.

  • After solving a challenge, they must take a screenshot of the flag with the timestamp showing and write a detailed report using the provided template, explaining how they solved the challenge.

  • The report must be uploaded before the deadline mentioned on the site.

  • The submissions will be evaluated based on the following criteria:
    • Flags captured
    • Quality of report submitted
    • Approach followed for capturing the flags

Participants shortlisted from Round 1 will be eligible for Round 2. This round will be conducted online and will be supervised by TCS team.

Activity 1: Penetration testing on hosted challenges

  • The participant would be provided with some set of challenge statements which are expected to be solve by using their intuitive skills. These statements may require expertise in certain areas such as:
    • System exploitation
    • Penetration testing of web applications
    • Mobile Security
    • Digital forensics
    • Threat hunting
    • Incident response
    • Source code analysis
  • The score will be based on the number of flags they capture in the topics mentioned above.

Activity 2: Case Explanation (3-4 hours) 

  • This activity will be conducted online and only shortlisted participants will be allowed.

  • The participants will be asked to explain how they plan to solve a problem and answer questions posted by group of judges.

TCS HackQuest Domains

Participants trained in specific security domains listed bellow will have an advantage when competing in contest:

  • Application Security
  • Network security
  • Java/J2EE, PHP, Python. GO
  • Information security and risk management
  • Ethical hacking
  • Digital forensics
  • Threat hunting 
  • Malware Analysis/Reverse Engineering 
  • Any security specific certification like Security+, CEH, ISO 27001, etc.

FAQ's on TCS HackQuest 2024

What is Flag in TCS HackQuest?

The TCS HackQuest is based on ‘Catch the Flag’ (CTF) format which is a contest with series of challenges related to cybersecurity that need to be completed in 6 hours. The term “flag” refers to a specific piece of information that the participants need to discover or obtain as part of the challenge.

Are Final year students eligible for TCS HackQuest ?

Yes, this contest is open to all students who will be graduating in the academic year 2024.

What is the Difficulty level of Questions asked in TCS HackQuest?

Generally, the difficulty level of questions asked in all rounds vary from easy to medium for TCS HackQuest.

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