Razorhack Cybersecurity Competition Returns to Campus Nov. 6-8

Students from across the country are invited to compete in RazorHack, a three-day cybersecurity capture-the-flag competition Nov. 6-8 at the U of A. 

Each year the competition brings together more than 100 participants for a weekend of networking, custom challenges and friendly competition. 

RazorHack uses a Jeopardy-style format with challenges like network scanning, binary exploitation, reverse engineering, hash cracking, social engineering, industrial control systems and lock picking. Teams of three to four may register, and competitors of all experience levels are encouraged to participate. 

"RazorHack was my first time competing in a CTF [Capture the Flag]-style competition, and it made me regret not doing it sooner," said U of A graduate student Nicholas Devilliers.

"Between the supportive mentors, the difficult challenges and the healthy competition, I feel much more capable in my future cybersecurity endeavors. I will be attending for years to come."

The event is organized by CyberHogs, the university's registered student organization for cybersecurity, in partnership with the Ozarks Section of IEEE, the world's largest association for technical professionals. The section serves IEEE members across Northwest Arkansas and includes the CyberHogs adviser among its leadership, making RazorHack a collaboration between working professionals and students. 

Registration costs $100 per player, or $75 for students and IEEE members, and includes access to all challenges, an opening-night banquet, food and drinks throughout the weekend, access to sponsor booths, a 2026 RazorHack T-shirt and eligibility for the event's prize pool. 

This year's organizing team includes: 

• Matthew Butler, lead gamemaster
• Rowyn Boyd, CyberHogs president and co-lead gamemaster
• Chris Farnell, RazorHack co-founder and organizer, CyberHogs adviser, IEEE Ozark Section chair and assistant professor of electrical engineering and computer science
• Karl Schubert, RazorHack organizer and IEEE Ozark Computer Chapter chair

RazorHack is supported by sponsors including Fortinet, Training Camp, IEEE Ozark Section, IEEE Region 5, Amazon Web Services, Guidepoint Security and NobleReach Foundation. 

Organizations interested in sponsoring the event may contact Chris Farnell at cfarnell@uark.edu. 

Additional details and registration information are available at razorhack.org.

About the College of Engineering:  The University of Arkansas College of Engineering is the state's largest engineering school, offering graduate and undergraduate degrees, online studies and interdisciplinary programs. It enrolls more than 4,700 students and employs more than 150 faculty and researchers along with nearly 200 staff members. Its research enterprise generated $47 million in new research awards in Fiscal Year 2025. The college's strategic plan, Vision 2035, seeks to build the premier STEM workforce in accordance with three key objectives: Initiating lifelong student success, generating transformational and relevant knowledge, and becoming the destination of choice among educators, students, staff, industry, alumni and the community. As part of this, the college is increasing graduates and research productivity to expand its footprint as an entrepreneurial engineering platform serving Arkansas and the world. The college embraces its pivotal role in driving economic growth, fueling innovation and educating the next generation of engineers, computer scientists and data scientists to address current and future societal challenges.