QuantumSec & FractalMalware Tracks (Tentative plan)

(For the list of Quantum Hackathon Committee members, please click HERE)

At this year’s conference, we are proud to announce the MalwareQ Hackathon 2025, an international challenge focused on advancing methods for malware detection and classification through artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

The hackathon bridges cutting-edge research in AI, quantum algorithms, and cybersecurity, aiming to foster innovative, safe, and reproducible approaches for protecting the digital domain.

The competition will run in two parallel tracks:

• QuantumSec Track – dedicated to the use of quantum and hybrid computational models for malware classification based on API call sequences obtained from dynamic malware analysis.
• FractalMalware Track – focused on analyzing fractal images generated from dynamical analysis malware samples using fractal geometry and deep learning techniques.

The datasets for both tracks have been prepared in collaboration with ESET, using anonymized and safely processed data derived from real malware samples.

Participants will work with two unique data modalities:

1.    Visual data – malware transformed into fractal images, suitable for analysis through convolutional and generative neural networks.
2.    API sequences – time-ordered records of system function calls that capture dynamic malware behavior.

The hackathon will be officially launched at the conference on December 11, 2025.

Following the announcement, the datasets and starter packages for both tracks will be released.

The submission deadline is set for January 31, 2026, and the final results and winners’ presentations will take place by the end of February 2026.

The MalwareQ Hackathon 2025 is open to students, researchers, and professionals worldwide who are interested in the intersection of quantum technologies, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity. Winning teams will receive financial and professional prizes.