Advanced Cyber Track | Cybersecurity Innovations Hackathon

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The purpose of these Rules (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules") is to define the conditions of participation in the Cybersecurity Innovations Hackathon (Hackathon). By applying for participation, persons confirm that they have read and fully accept the provisions of these Rules. Current information on the Hackathon, including a list of partners, experts involved, timeline, answers to frequently asked questions, etc., as well as a link to registration, is available on the Hackathon Website: https://www.devchallenge.it/cshack


1. General


1.1. The Cybersecurity Innovations Hackathon is an initiative of the USAID Cybersecurity Activity to create a safe and reliable cybersecurity environment and promote the development of technologies to support cybersecurity in Ukraine. 

1.2. The purpose and objectives of the Hackathon:
  • Finding innovations to replace and defend against hostile digital products;
  • Modernisation of industrial process control systems in the energy sector;
  • Discovering new talent and launching cybersecurity products to develop Ukraine's culture of innovation and IT ecosystem;
  • Encourage professionals to get involved in solving socially important challenges, show their vision and propose new approaches;

1.3. Tracks / Areas within which Participants will develop projects:
  • Advanced Cyber Track – development of pioneering and innovative cybersecurity solutions using the latest technologies such as AI, ML, IoT, Big Data, etc.
  • ICS Solutions Track – development of innovative solutions to protect and improve industrial process control systems in the energy sector of Ukraine.
  • Secret Challenge – a request from hackathon stakeholders, for specialists who are not afraid of challenges and want to integrate their expertise into a real project

Participants can choose one of the proposed tracks and present their own solution, or they can complete a challenge and submit the result of a specific request.

1.4. Definition:
Website is a webpage at https://www.devchallenge.it/cshack
Participant – a specialist who has expressed a desire to participate in the Cybersecurity Innovations Hackathon and has registered on the Hackathon Platform https://app.devchallenge.it/ 
Team – a group of specialists who work together to create a project during the Hackathon.
Team lead – one of the Team Members who perform certain leadership functions.
Track / Area – defined areas within which projects will be developed. Tracks will bring together Teams working on projects in the same area. 
Challenge – a defined task presented by Hackathon stakeholders. Teams can develop their unique project within one of the Hackathon tracks or work on the Challenge.
Solution – the result of the Team's work and research, which they present to the jury and experts. This can be a software product, application, website, algorithm, prototype or any other technological solution created by the team per the task.
Expert Mentor – a mentor with unique expertise provides information support and advice to the Hackathon Teams in a particular area of expertise.
Team Mentor - a mentor who moderates the work of the Teams. A Team Mentor will work with 3 - 5 assigned Teams. Each Team must be assigned to a Team Mentor.
Jury – experts who will evaluate the Solutions developed by the Participants in the Final.
Organiser - provides the Participants with everything they need to work productively at the Hackathon and ensures compliance with all rules and regulations.

1.5. Hackathon Organiser:
NGO "INTERNET INITIATIVES
EDRPOU code: 35866735
Location of the Hackathon Organiser: 51, Vozdvyzhenska St., Kyiv, office 6.


2. Hackathon Stages


2.1. Registration process.

2.1.1. By 1 August 2024, anyone wishing to participate must register on the Hackathon Platform.

2.1.2. During the registration, the Participant shall provide the following information: surname and name, phone number, e-mail. This information will be used to organise and conduct the Hackathon.

2.1.3. Each Participant warrants that the information provided during the application process is complete and accurate. Any false, incorrect or incomplete information will automatically lead to the rejection of the application and/or disqualification of the Participant.

2.1.4. A Participant may participate in a pre-formed Team or individually. A Team may include from two (2) to five (5) Participants. Each Participant must be registered on the Hackathon Platform.

2.1.5. After registration, the Participant receives access to additional information, links to data, online Hackathon materials, and a link to join the official Hackathon Slack channel, where communication during the Hackathon will take place. 

2.2. The hackathon will be held in 3 stages, described below:
/ Stage 1: Formation of Teams. At this stage, the Participants will form and complete the Teams, decide on the format of participation (Challenge or implementation of their own idea).
/ Stage 2: Project development. The teams will start working on the development of their projects together with the Mentors. Projects will be evaluated and selected for the next stage.
/ Stage 3: Pitching. Teams will present their projects.

2.3. Stage 1: Formation of Teams / 24.07 - 02.08.

2.3.1. In the confirmation letter from the Organiser, the Participants will receive recommendations on how to form a Team on their own in the form of instructions. If the Participant does not have a Team or is unable to form one, he/she may contact the Organiser and receive assistance in finding a Team.

2.3.2. Participants will form Teams of between two (2) and five (5) Participants to focus on project development. A Participant may not be part of more than one Team. A Team should include Participants from different areas: developers, engineers, data scientists, researchers, managers. 

2.3.3 A team cannot participate in both Hackathon formats - developing a project on its own idea and developing a project for the Challenge.

2.3.4. A team may participate in only one Track.

2.3.5. The unified Idea Base will contain a list of Teams and their composition. Participants leave a comment with a request to join the Team. You can also use the #05-looking-for-team channel in Slack to search for a Team. 

2.3.6. Each Team identifies a Team Lead. This can be the owner of the idea. The Team Lead may change later.

2.3.7. The Team Leader is responsible for communication with Mentors and Organisers. The Team Leader must make sure that the full Team and the idea are registered in a single Database.

2.3.8. The Team will create a Slack channel with the name #team-name of your Team. This will be the main channel for communication and work of the Team. The Team Leader should ensure that all Team members have joined the channel.

2.4. Stage 2: Project development / 02.08 - 09.08.

2.4.1 Teams will be given time to develop their prototype or pretotype.

2.4.2. Teams can receive professional expertise and advice from Mentors during scheduled mentoring sessions and through individual consultations with Mentors. Each Team will be assigned to a Team Mentor. Consultations of Expert Mentors will be held in the chats #mentor-help-track-name. Consultation can be obtained by leaving a message in the corresponding chat.

2.4.3. Teams will have several mandatory checkpoints during their work to receive comments and advice from Mentors. The checkpoints will be moderated by the Team Mentors and will be held in any agreed service: zoom, hangouts, skype, etc.

2.4.4. If a Team does not appear at the checkpoint, it will be disqualified.

2.4.5. Based on the results of their work, the Teams will upload a video and/or project presentation. Components: demonstration of prototypes using available video platforms, basic information about the project, if possible, show gameplay, monetisation model, explain what audience it is intended for. A link to a detailed project will be welcomed.

2.4.6. All submitted projects will be evaluated by Mentors by closed voting. As a result of the closed voting, up to 10 Teams will be selected to participate in the next stage of the Hackathon - the Final.

2.4.7. The project evaluation criteria include the criterion "Progress during the Hackathon". Projects that have already been developed will also be evaluated according to this criterion. 

2.5. Stage 3: Pitching / 10.08.

2.5.1. Selected Teams will have the opportunity to present online prototypes of projects/solutions to the Hackathon Jury. 

2.5.2. After the presentation of the prototypes, the Jury will evaluate the projects by closed voting.

2.5.3. The Jury together with the Organizers shall determine and announce the winners of the Hackathon.

2.5.4. The decisions of the Jury and the Organisers are final and not subject to appeal.


3. Terms of participation


3.1. Individuals can apply for participation in the Hackathon free of charge.

3.2.Individuals
(I) who are interested in creating innovations in the cybersecurity and information protection sector participate:
  • developers, engineers and network architects;
  • cybersecurity specialists, researchers and academics;
  • students, graduates and young professionals in the technology and cybersecurity industries;
  • specialists with experience in the energy sector;
  • startup founders, project and product managers.
(II) those who have their own computer equipment in good condition.

3.3. Participants may notify the Hackathon Organiser in advance of any special needs to ensure comfortable participation. These needs may include, but are not limited to, disability, health, or other physical aspects. The Organiser is obliged to ensure that such notifications are given due consideration and provide opportunities for comfortable participation.

3.4. The Participants confirm that their work and/or content, as well as any other materials submitted to the Organisers during the Hackathon, do not contain any inappropriate materials, including malware or viruses, prohibited Internet resources, materials that violate copyrights, promote violence, racism, discrimination, pornography, or violate any laws or regulations, materials that violate ethical standards.

3.5. The Organiser reserves the right to reject the application at any time if the Participant's profile does not comply with section 3.2. of the Terms of Participation or does not contain relevant/related experience to perform the tasks.


4. Evaluation criteria


4.1. Jury will evaluate projects based on their own ideas according to the following criteria. Each criterion has a scale from 1 to 5 points.
  • Opportunity to create value and relevance to the Hackathon theme. Is the submitted project relevant to the topic? Does the solution provide a solution for a significant number of users? How large is the potential audience? What business value can the project bring?
  • Originality and innovation. The uniqueness of the idea. How innovative is the project? Is the proposed solution better than existing solutions?
  • User experience and design. The convenience of the interface, navigation, and appearance. Is the solution customer-centric? How well-designed is the solution? 
  • Technical complexity. How technically complex is the project presented?
  • Progress during the Hackathon. How well did the team work together? What was developed during the Hackathon? Did the team make progress while working on an existing project?

4.2. Jury will evaluate the projects for the Challenge based on the following criteria. Each criterion has a scale from 1 to 5 points.
  • Relevance to the Challenge and potential for value creation. Is the submitted project relevant to the topic? How well does the proposed solution solve the problem? How large is the potential audience and does the solution meet their needs? What business value can the project bring?
  • Originality and innovation of the solution. How innovative is the project? Is the proposed solution better than existing solutions?
  • User experience and design. The convenience of the interface, navigation, and appearance. Is the solution customer-centric? How well-designed is the solution? 
  • Technical implementation. How technically advanced is the project and how much value can it bring at this stage?
  • Progress during the Hackathon. How well did the team work together? What was developed during the Hackathon? Did the team make progress while working on an existing project?

4.3. The evaluation criteria may be amended or supplemented. The Organiser is obliged to publish the criteria before the start of the Team Work stage.


5. Awards


5.1. The Winners of the Hackathon will be awarded the Prizes in the order of announcement and according to the relevant notification of the awarding procedure.

5.2. Awards may not be transferred to a third party.

5.3. The Winner may not demand financial compensation or replacement of the Reward.

5.4. The team that takes first place among the projects based on their own ideas will receive a prize. The winning team of the Challenge will receive a prize. 

5.5. The winners of the Hackathon and their projects will be announced on the Hackathon website and in other media.


6. Standards of behaviour


During the Hackathon, Participants are obliged to behave ethically. The standards of behaviour that outline the expectations from the Participants during the event are as follows:

6.1. Inclusivity and respect: We are committed to providing an inclusive and respectful environment for all participants. Treat all competitors, organisers, judges and sponsors with respect, regardless of their background, experience or expertise.

6.2. Collaborative environment: Foster a spirit of collaboration and open exchange of ideas. Encourage teamwork and support your fellow participants.

6.3. Professional behaviour: Maintain professional behaviour throughout the event. Harassment, discrimination or any form of disruptive behaviour will not be tolerated.

6.4. Ethical AI: Promote ethical practices in the development and use of AI. Do not engage in activities that could lead to harmful consequences or ethical dilemmas.

6.5. Privacy and consent: Respect the privacy and consent of other participants. Do not take, share, or distribute photos, videos, or personal information without permission.

6.6. Sharing code and projects: Teams are encouraged to share their code and projects with the community. However, respect intellectual property rights and attribute the work of others when appropriate.

6.8. Report problems: If you witness or experience any violations of this code of conduct, please report them immediately to the event organisers or staff. We take all reports seriously and act on them promptly.

6.9. Consequences: Violation of this code of conduct may result in a warning, disqualification from the event or removal from the premises, depending on the severity of the violation. The decision of the event organisers is final.

6.10 Safety and well-being: The safety and well-being of all participants is our priority. Any action that compromises the safety or general welfare of participants will not be tolerated.


7. Intellectual property rights


7.1. The intellectual property rights to the prototypes created by the Participants based on their own ideas developed during the Hackathon will belong to the Participants. The intellectual property rights to the prototypes created by the Participants based on the Challenges developed during the Hackathon shall belong to their authors (Participants) from the moment of their creation.

7.2. During the Hackathon, the Participants shall not use intellectual property rights objects owned by third parties. Any third-party elements included in the prototype, including open-source software, must be marked by the terms of their use. 

7.3. Solutions and prototypes must not infringe on the intellectual property rights of third parties.

7.4. The Participants agree that from the moment of submission of the Solution, all exclusive property rights to intellectual property created by the Participants in the course of solving the Challenges and contained in the Solutions shall be transferred to the Organizer in full without limitation of the territory of their validity, for the maximum term of validity of the respective rights and with the right to transfer such rights or part thereof to third parties. 

7.5. By registering to participate in the Hackathon, the Participants confirm that they do not expect any remuneration in connection with the transfer of rights to intellectual property created in the course of solving the Challenges to the Organizer. 

7.6. The Participants guarantee that all intellectual property rights used in the course of the Challenges are created by them personally, belong to them, or are used by them on a legal basis.


8. Protection of personal data

8.1. The Hackathon Participant gives the Organizer his/her consent to the processing of personal data provided during the registration on the Hackathon Platform.

8.2. The Organizer collects and processes personal data concerning the Participant, primarily to properly organise and conduct the Hackathon. In particular, to contact the Hackathon winners in connection with the awarding and transfer of the Prize, and publication of the list of Winners.

8.3. Personal data subjects enjoy the rights provided for by the Law of Ukraine "On Personal Data Protection", the Standard Procedure for Personal Data Processing approved by the Order of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights No. 1/02-14 dated 08.01.2014, taking into account certain provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).


9. Dispute resolution

All disputes related to the Hackathon will be resolved through negotiations between the Organisers and the Participant and will be governed by the laws of Ukraine. 


10. Final provisions


10.1. By registering for participation in the Hackathon, the Participant agrees to the terms of these Rules and undertakes to comply with them. Failure to comply with the terms of these Rules shall be grounds for disqualification of the Participant.

10.2. The Hackathon Organisers may make any changes and/or additions to these Rules by the procedure established by the legislation of Ukraine.
 
10.3 These Rules, as well as amendments to them, come into force from the moment they are posted on the Hackathon Website.
 
10.4. The procedure for other procedures not stipulated by these Rules shall be established by other local documents of the Organizer or by making operational decisions during the Hackathon, taking into account the principles of expediency, fairness and reasonableness.
 
10.5. The Hackathon Organizers shall not be liable in case of force majeure, such as natural disasters, fire, flood, military actions of any kind, blockades, significant changes in legislation, or other circumstances beyond the control of the Hackathon Organizers.
 
10.6. In case of invalidation of any provision of these Rules, all other provisions shall remain in force.


11. Contact information


The official website of the Hackathon: https://www.devchallenge.it/cshack 
E-mail: hello@devchallenge.it