The 5th season of the CyberBastion League has ended – we know the winners!
Introduction
The CyberBastion League is a unique educational and training project that has been supporting the development of cybersecurity specialists in Poland for five years. Participants compete in realistic scenarios inspired by real incidents, gaining practical experience and honing their skills in conditions that simulate real threats.
Season 2025 – new challenges and records
The fifth edition of the League was unique in terms of scale and innovation. A record 108 teams signed up for the competition. A new DISARM framework was introduced, enriched with fresh modules, extended functionalities, and a redesigned user interface.
A new strategic partner, SecureVisio, also joined the League’s supporters. The organizer is the Secure Cyberspace Foundation.
Another novelty was the modified format of the Final – for the first time divided into a tournament phase and a knockout phase, with the decisive matches taking place on the main stage of the Security Case Study 2025 conference.
Tournament phase
The season lasted from February to June 2025 and included five scenarios that tested competencies in various areas of cybersecurity. Based on the results, the ten best teams were selected to advance to the Finals:
Ctrl-Alt-Defeat, ember, Tańczący z Podatnościami, HMS Charon, Cookie of Disaster, Dzikie Wieprze, OS3, Blazing Code, AD4K oraz Krasnoludy Bojowe.
SCS 2025 Final
The Grand Final took place during the tenth anniversary edition of the Security Case Study conference. The competitors competed in a specially prepared game room, and their efforts were observed by conference participants.
Seven scenarios inspired by real incidents from 2025 were prepared. Their descriptions and sources were revealed the day before the competition, which allowed the teams to prepare their strategies, but did not eliminate the element of surprise – some of the information was only published in the evening, and the order was random.
New format for the finals
The finals consisted of two stages:
Tournament phase – three scenarios played in a points system, with the 10 best teams of the season participating – TOP 10
Knockout phase – semi-finals, third place match, and grand final played live on the main stage of the #SCS25 conference, during which participants faced scenarios presented in real time in front of an audience; four teams took part in the knockout phase.
The scenarios in the knockout stage were shorter and more dynamic (13 minutes), which increased the attractiveness and allowed the best teams to fully showcase their skills.
Semi-finals and final
The semi-finals saw four teams with the highest scores in the tournament phase compete against each other. After some exciting battles, the following teams advanced to the grand final: Ctrl-Alt-Defeat, ember, Tańczący z Podatnościami, and Cookie of Disaster.
The decisive and exciting final took place on the main stage, where not only technical skills counted, but also strategy and teamwork under time pressure.
Winners of the 5th season of the CyberBastion League
1st place – Ctrl-Alt-Defeat,
2nd place – ember,
3rd place – Tańczący z Podatnościami.
1st place – Ctrl-Alt-Defeat
The defending champions once again showed their class. The team stood out for their quick reactions, consistent actions, and effective cooperation.
Team members: Piotr Kosowski (captain), Rafał Guziński, Łukasz Gozdzikowski, Przemysław Jurewicz, Dariusz Arendarski.
2nd place – ember (mBank S.A.)
The ember team fought for victory until the very end, demonstrating a high level of knowledge and determination.
Team members: Rafał Zieliński (captain), Szymon Paszun.
Third place – Tańczący z Podatnościami
The team stood out with its creative approach to solving tasks and resistance to stress.
Team members: Ernest Krupski (captain), Jan Karczewicz, Bartosz Piechaczek, Mateusz Chmiel.
Significance and prospects
The CyberBastion League has confirmed its role as Poland’s most important platform for practical training and competition in the field of cybersecurity. Cooperation with partners and integration with the Security Case Study conference allows us to combine education, exchange of experiences, and promotion of best practices.
We would like to thank and congratulate all participants, and we would like to express our special appreciation to the winners. Season 5 results table: RESULTS TABLE.
We will announce the details of registration for the 6th season of the League soon.
Summary
The CyberBastion League season has shown that it is a unique space where practical skills are combined with passion, and competition becomes a source of inspiration and learning. Thanks to the support of partners such as SecureVisio, the event is gaining even greater prestige and contributing to the real development of cybersecurity competencies in Poland.
With each passing year, the League gains momentum, and the experience gained pays off in the daily work of specialists.
We are already looking forward to the next 6th season – full of excitement, challenges, and successes.
