Hack Mac 2026
Thursday, 1 October 2026
9am to 5pm @ TAFE Meadowbank
Registrations open now!
What is Hack Mac?
Hack Mac 2026 is a Capture-the-Flag (CTF) cybersecurity competition.
Designed to test the skills of participants in various disciplines of cyber security, students complete various challenges to obtain flags and earn points!
Lunch will be catered, t-shirts, hats, and stickers will be given out, and prizes to be won!
Proudly Sponsored By
Armis
CrowdStrike
Checkpoint Software
Infoblox
Compnow
Mercury ISS
Tanto Security
BeyondTrust
What's in it for me?
Hack Mac includes challenges for all levels and encourage all skill levels to participate.
We strive to provide a safe, inclusive and fun environment to hone your skills and network with like-minded individuals.
Networking
Meet fellow cybersecurity students from other schools and make new friends!
Prizes
Prizes will be given out to teams in the top 3 overall OR top 1 for that division
Pizza & Merch
Catering will be provided! The first 100 registrations will receive a free shirt, hat and stickers!
Lockpicking
It's not all virtual - come and test your skills with physical lockpicks!
Student Innovation
Our Macquarie University students designed the vast majority of the challenges you'll be facing!
Rules
Participants must:
Be currently enrolled in High School, TAFE or University to win prizes
Be at least 15 years of age
Attend the event in-person
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) - Kali is recommended
Compete in teams of two. Individual players will be paired up
AI Use Policy
No AI Agents for autonomous or automated solving allowed
Any use of AI to automate solving of challenges such as, but not limited to, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Copilot, Codex, OpenCode, OpenClaw is strictly forbidden.
We cannot properly enforce a complete ban of AI, and ignoring the tools' use for faster learning is unavoidable. You can use it to chat, ask, and learn, but you cannot automate solves.
We will, on our own ruling, hand out AI bans if we suspect that it is being used not in accordance with the competition or you are found cheating by using autonomous solving.
You are required to submit write-ups after the competition detailing the methodology and thought process of your solve, with more detail required the more complex it is.
All network activity during the CTF is monitored.
An entire team will be disqualified if one person is found using AI inappropriately. Scores and solves will be removed. Players' names will be blocklisted and shared across other Universities who run CTFs who may choose to ban them at their discretion.
We trust that players will not attempt to cheat, and expect a level of honour and respect among CTF players competing for prizes.
We'd love to see you there!
Mark your calendars, spread the word, and get ready for Hack Mac 2026! We can't wait to see you there!
If you forget to register, you can come down on the day and register in-person as long as the participant limit hasn't been reached.
Registration open now!
Organisers
Hack Mac 2026 is running in collaboration with Macquarie University Cyber Security Hub, Faculty of Science and Engineering, IT Security, IT Projects Team, and student societies!
Cyber Security Hub
Multi-disciplinary collaboration to tackling real-world challenges in cyber security.
Information Technology
Design, deployment and management of ICT operations, and the delivery of our digital strategy and roadmap.
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Nurturing the next generation of science and technology innovators.
Institute of Applied Technology - Digital
The Cyber Range Training Centre (CRTC) Provides a scalable and customisable Cyber Security education framework for credentials.
MACS
Macquarie Association of Computing Students is a student society dedicated to Computing Students
MQCyberSec
Student society dedicated to CTFs and Cyber Security.
Frequently Asked Questions
🚩What is Capture The Flag?🚩
CTFs test the skills of participants in various disciplines of cybersecurity. Participants complete various challenges to obtain “flags” and earn points! A flag is a line of text that proves you have solved the challenge.
🤔How do I learn CTF as a beginner?🤔
To get started with CTFs, we recommend TryHackMe for beginners, and once you are ready for a steeper learning curve, HackTheBox!
🎮How do I play?🎮
On the day of the competition, after registering your account you'll be able to log on to our competition site on-premises. Pick any puzzle to get started!
Choose a challenge and read the description. You may have to access a website, download files, type scripts, or do research!
Complete the challenge and obtain the flag.
Paste the flag into the answer box. If correct, your team will then receive points based on the challenge difficulty.
🧩What types of puzzles are there?🧩
Web Security
Binary Exploitation
Reverse Engineering
Cryptography
Forensics
Open Source Intelligence (OSINT)
Lockpicking (physical locks!)