CyberWarrior-Applied LLM Challenge

The CyberWarrior-Applied LLM Challenge will begin on March 1, 2025, and conclude on April 6, 2025.

Large Language Models (LLMs) have revolutionized technology, powering applications like language translation, content generation, sentiment analysis, and personal assistants.

These advancements highlight the transformative potential of AI across diverse fields.

However, opportunities remain to leverage LLMs to address critical cybersecurity challenges.

From enhancing code security analysis to automating threat intelligence, the possibilities are vast.

This competition invites participants to develop innovative, cybersecurity-focused applications using the OpenAI API.

Are you ready to push the boundaries of what’s possible in cybersecurity?

Team members may include individuals from various backgrounds in the cybersecurity field, such as students, professionals, or professors. Each team can have up to three members.

Please check below in detail.

The challenge pertains to software development, where each team develops a proof-of-concept defense method using APIs.

Team Registration Deadline: March 9, 2025

Travel Support : Available for up to 10 - 20 selected final teams for the final competition during the conference days, depending on the available funds.

Registration Fee : $30 ( This small fee is intended to reflect your commitment to participating. Please note that the fee is non-refundable.)

Registration Link: https://www.svcsi.org/events-1/cyberwarrior-2025-applied-llm-challenge

Demo Paper Submission Deadline: April 15, 2025 (Firm deadline due to the proper travel arrangement. However, each team can keep working on your proposed idea development before June 15, 2025. Also, the final camera-ready version for the demo paper will be submitted by May 10, 2025, to be included in the conference proceeding at IEEE.)

An online Q&A session will be held on Wednesday, March 12th, from 1–2 PM (Pacific Time).

The meeting link will be shared exclusively with the team members who register for this competition.

Eligibility

Age Requirement: Open to participants of all ages.
Participation: Team (up to 3 members per team)
API Requirement: Submissions must incorporate the OpenAI API or other LLM as part of the solution. (Any LLM techniques are also allowed.)

Submission Guidelines

Originality: Submissions must be original. Enhancing existing systems is allowed with proper citations. Plagiarism or failure to provide citations will result in disqualification without review.
Submission Components:
- Source Code: Fully functional code with detailed comments and documentation (e.g., GitHub link or GitLab. Please note that it is recommended to keep your code link private until the competition is complete. You can share it with only the competition judges later. We will share the information again by email after the demo paper submission deadline.
- Demo Paper: The title starts with "Demo:". A document (max 3 pages) formatted per IEEE post-paper standards with participants' full names and their affiliation, including:
  1. Abstract
  2. Introduction
  3. Problem description and solution
  4. Results and analysis
  5. Conclusion and future work
  6. Appendix must include your source code link and YouTube link
- Video Demonstration:
  1. Duration: 10–15 minutes
  2. Content: Showcase the application, explain features, and demonstrate functionality. Contributions of each team member must be disclosed to boost full engagement.
  3. Quality: Clear visuals, audio, and explanation are required.
  4. YouTube demo video must be in the "Unlisted" or "Private" mode only, and then share with only the judges
Submission Platform: You can submit your demo paper through the SVCC 2025 EasyChair. You need to submit your paper under the demo track.

Phases and Timeline

All deadlines are 11:59 PM Pacific Time.

Judging Criteria

Submissions will be evaluated on:

Innovation & Creativity (25%) – 250 Points
- Novelty and originality of the application.
- Effectiveness in solving cybersecurity problems.
Technical Implementation (30%) – 300 Points
- Functionality: Does the solution work as intended?
- Code quality: Use of comments, adherence to standards, and technical execution.
Write-Up (10%) – 100 Points
- Clarity, structure, and adherence to IEEE format.
- Depth of explanation and analysis.
Video Demonstration (10%) – 100 Points
- Quality of visuals, sound, and explanation.
- Effective demonstration of the solution.
- Method effectiveness and evaluation methods in the demo
Practical Applicability & Impact (25%) – 250 Points
- Impact on cybersecurity practices.
- Usability and practicality of the solution.

Rules

OpenAI API Usage:
1. Solutions must use the OpenAI API or other LLM
2. Teams will receive up to $100 credits upon demo submission (April 15, 2025). Note that your team must submit the receipt for reimbursement.
3. Attribution and compliance with the used LLM policies are mandatory.
Team Contributions: Contributions must be clearly disclosed in the video.
Third-Party Tools: Additional tools are allowed, provided they are cited and compliant with licensing agreements.
Ownership: Participants retain ownership of submissions but grant organizers the right to use materials for judging, promotion, and educational purposes.
Ethics: Applications must adhere to ethical standards and avoid promoting malicious practices.
Final Decisions: All decisions by organizers are final.

Awards

Grand Prize: $5,000 with the award certificates for all the members.
First Prize: $3,000 with the award certificates for all the members.
Second Prize: $1,000 with the award certificates for all the members.
Third Prize: $500 (Two Teams) with the award certificates for all the members.

If the fund is available, we can select more winners (up to 10) for this competition.

Q&A

Q1. Will the paper be published in IEEE Xplore?
Ans: Yes.

Q2. Do we need to win in order for the paper to be published, or will it be published upon acceptance after peer review?
Ans: If the demo paper is accepted as a finalist to show a demo at SVCC 2025, we encourage you to publish it in the conference proceedings. However, this is optional for each group.

Q4. Are we limited to three authors for this paper? Our group has four contributors or more.
Ans: We highly value the contributions of all group members. However, per the guidelines, the paper is limited to three authors. To acknowledge the fourth contributor, we recommend including a special acknowledgment in the paper if it is published. While each team can decide how to share the award money, the award certificate will only list three contributors. To formally recognize the fourth contributor, it would be beneficial to publish your demo paper in the conference proceedings with an acknowledgment section.

Contact & Support

For questions or assistance, contact:

Jackie Zhang: Jackie.zhang@svcsi.org
Event Manager: event.manager@svcsi.org

We look forward to seeing your innovative contributions in advancing cybersecurity!