Mumbai: A Bold Step Towards Cybersecurity

Punjab National Bank (PNB) has taken a significant leap in the fight against cybercrime by launching its first Cybersecurity Hackathon 2024-25, themed "Code Against Malware." This innovative initiative seeks to unite innovators, researchers, and academicians in a collaborative effort to address the growing menace of malware threats.

Online Participation and Key Focus Areas

The hackathon will be conducted online, welcoming participants from students, researchers, and academicians, either individually or in teams. Aligned with the Department of Financial Services (DFS) directive, the event focuses on advanced fraud detection, behavior-based user authentication, and security monitoring. Key areas include intelligence-powered malware detection, real-time threat mitigation, ransomware resilience solutions, and next-generation antivirus tools.

Prizes and Real-World Impact

Participants are challenged to develop a robust cybersecurity framework for the banking sector, capable of detecting, mitigating, and preventing malware attacks. Winners stand to gain prizes worth up to Rs 11 lakh and the chance to tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges. Successful solutions may be deployed in live environments by the bank.

Digital Transformation and Collaboration

This initiative underscores PNB's commitment to digital transformation and the protection of customer data. Conducted under the guidance of the Ministry of Finance, the hackathon highlights the importance of collaboration between the financial sector, research institutions, and tech innovators in combating evolving cyber threats.