Romania had a successful debut at the International Cyber Security Olympiad (ICO 2026), where the national team won four medals: one gold, one silver, and two bronze.
This is the first participation of our country in this competition dedicated to high school students passionate about cybersecurity from all over the world.
According to the National Cyber Security Directorate (DNSC), the results confirm the high level of preparation of young Romanians and strengthen Romania's position among the countries with a tradition in training future specialists in this field.
All four students returned with medals
Romania was represented by a team of four students, and each of them stepped onto the podium:
- Iacob Răzvan Mihai – gold medal;
- Albu Vladimir – silver medal;
- Filimon Ștefan Mihai – bronze medal;
- Stan Alexandru Gabriel – bronze medal.
The DNSC, which coordinated Romania's participation in ICO 2026, congratulated the students for their achievements and hard work.
Selection was made through the National Cyber Security Olympiad
The four students were selected based on their results at the Cyber Security Olympiad (OSC) 2026, the national competition for high school students passionate about this field, organized by the Ministry of Education and Research together with institutional partners.
OSC represents the main mechanism through which students who will form the national team for international competitions are identified and trained.
This year, participation in the International Cyber Security Olympiad was included for the first time in the official calendar of the Ministry of Education and Research, with the ministry providing the necessary resources for the students' travel and participation.
Competition dedicated to future specialists in cybersecurity
Now in its second edition, ICO annually brings together high school students from dozens of countries who test their knowledge in areas such as web application security, cryptography, digital forensics, reverse engineering, vulnerability exploitation, and Capture The Flag (CTF) challenges.
The DNSC emphasizes that beyond the competitive aspect, the Olympiad contributes to forming an international community of young cybersecurity specialists and facilitates the exchange of experience among participants, mentors, and experts from around the world.
The institution highlights that Romania's participation reflects the commitment of the DNSC, the Ministry of Education and Research, and partners from the public and private sectors to support the development of skills in the field of cybersecurity and the training of future specialists. The participation of the national team in ICO 2026 was made possible with the support of these partners.