Over the course of two days (April 27-28), banks, fintech firms, know-how suppliers, and regulators from throughout the UK monetary ecosystem got here collectively for a cybersecurity competitors designed to check real-world readiness, decision-making beneath stress, and the power to defend essential monetary infrastructure towards refined assaults.
Hosted by Lloyds Banking Group, Hack The Field, and Google Cloud Safety, the UK Monetary Providers Safety Hackathon introduced collectively 33 groups from 16 organisations. Every crew consisted of two people, reflecting the necessity for tight collaboration beneath stress.
The 9 Lives With Zero Days crew, made up of a Machine Studying engineer and a senior Penetration Tester, was topped winner on the finish of the competitors. This highlights the rising convergence of synthetic intelligence and cybersecurity expertise in trendy defence methods.
Their win underscored a central theme of the occasion – that whereas AI is changing into an more and more highly effective power in cybersecurity, human experience stays on the core. AI can speed up repetitive or clearly outlined duties, however real-world defence depends on context, judgement, adaptability and the power to navigate a number of doable paths. Fingers-on expertise is what builds the instincts and decision-making that instruments alone can not change.
Matt Rowe, Chief Safety Officer of Lloyds Banking Group, mentioned: “This occasion demonstrated how simulated real-life workout routines assist organisations strengthen defensive capabilities, enhance readiness beneath stress, and construct stronger collaboration throughout the broader monetary companies ecosystem. In a extremely related sector, resilience relies upon not solely on particular person organisations, however on how successfully we put together and reply collectively.”
Individuals tackled challenges throughout net exploitation, digital forensics, OSINT investigations, cryptography and fee methods safety, competing to uncover vulnerabilities and safe methods beneath stress. The challenges additionally mirrored the function of AI in each assault and defence eventualities, permitting groups to mix technical cybersecurity experience with rising AI capabilities.
The occasion additionally highlighted the significance of measurable cyber readiness in monetary companies, the place extremely interconnected methods, evolving threats and speedy incident escalation imply efficiency within the first hours of an assault could be essential.
Nikos Fountas, Chief Working Officer of Hack The Field, mentioned: “Cybersecurity is not only about what groups know, it’s about what they will do when it issues most. Workouts like this transfer organisations from static coaching to proving real-world readiness. They put together safety professionals, check judgment beneath stress, and benchmark efficiency towards friends throughout the trade.
“As AI turns into extra succesful, the human aspect remains to be essential. It’s very like chess. Though machines can outperform people, individuals proceed to review and play as a result of the worth lies within the considering course of – the sample recognition, creativity, and decision-making. In cybersecurity, it’s these instincts and the power to make the fitting choices beneath stress that finally strengthen resilience.”
The successful ‘9 Lives With Zero Days’ crew mentioned: “We’re shocked and thrilled to win, and it has not but sunk in. The 2 days have been each wonderful and difficult. And the AI challenges had been our favorite.”
