M.Tech students from IIIT Bengaluru secured both the first and second positions at the CyberShield Hackathon, competing against nearly 3,000 teams nationwide.

  • IIIT Bengaluru M.Tech students secured 1st and 2nd places in the CyberShield Hackathon.
  • The winning team earned ₹5 lakh for the first prize and ₹3 lakh for the second.
  • The event was organized by IIT Hyderabad in collaboration with Bank of India.
  • Solutions utilized Generative AI and Machine Learning to combat financial fraud.

In a stellar display of technical prowess, a team of M.Tech students from the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bangalore has secured the top two positions in the prestigious CyberShield Hackathon. Organized by IIT Hyderabad in collaboration with Bank of India, the competition saw intense participation from nearly 3,000 teams representing universities across India.

The standout team, comprising Chandrahas Reddy, Sarthak Maheshwari, Harsh Mohta, and Arismita Mukherjee, achieved a double victory. They clinched the first prize for their groundbreaking project, earning ₹5 lakh, and subsequently secured the second position with another innovative project, winning ₹3 lakh.

Read Also:IBPS RRB Recruitment 2026: Registration Opens for 13,441 Vacancies

Addressing Modern Cyber Threats

The hackathon was specifically designed to challenge participants to engineer technology-driven solutions for emerging cybersecurity threats and sophisticated financial frauds. The competition presented two critical problem statements: identifying fraudulent mobile applications and malware, and detecting 'mule accounts' used in evolving financial fraud patterns.

Sarthak Maheshwari highlighted that their first project employed Generative AI to build a system capable of rapid identification of malicious behavior within mobile applications. Addressing the second challenge, Arismita Mukherjee explained that their team developed an AI/ML-based solution that integrates regulatory and cross-channel banking data with human analyst feedback to adapt to shifting fraud tactics.

Why This Matters

BozokMedia analysis shows that as financial ecosystems become increasingly digitized, the reliance on automated, intelligent security layers is no longer optional but essential. The success of these students demonstrates that Indian academic institutions are at the forefront of developing practical, high-impact AI applications that can safeguard the nation's financial integrity against increasingly complex cyber-attacks.

The integration of Generative AI in cybersecurity marks a paradigm shift in how we proactively defend against digital fraud.
Did You Know?: Mule accounts are bank accounts used by criminals to receive and transfer illegally obtained funds, making them a primary target for modern cybersecurity tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question 1: Who organized the CyberShield Hackathon?
Answer: The hackathon was organized by IIT Hyderabad in partnership with the Bank of India.

Question 2: What technologies did the IIIT Bengaluru team use?
Answer: The team utilized Generative AI and Machine Learning (AI/ML) to develop their winning solutions.