Announcing the 2026 National Higher Education Boss of the SOC (BOTS) Winner

On April 15, 2026, teams of cyber defenders from across the country gathered for the annual Boss of the SOC (BOTS) competition, held just ahead for the National Higher Education systems.

BOTS is a high-stakes, blue-team capture-the-flag competition that puts participants in the role of a SOC analyst. Using the integrated power of Splunk Security software contestants raced to investigate and resolve a series of realistic security challenges. Led by industry specialists, this immersive workshop allows security hunters to test their skills against massive, real-world datasets in a risk-free environment.

Every year, we are blown away by the investigative speed, tactical creativity, and brilliance our participants display under pressure. We are proud to see our customers and partners take on the front-line challenges of today’s threat landscape. Whether they were uncovering hidden adversaries in seconds or pivoting through complex cloud data to thwart the "Angry Alpaca" threat group, these defenders proved that resilience is built through expertise and the right tools.

We are thrilled to congratulate this year’s top performers:

• 1st Place Champions: Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)
• 2nd Place: University of Georgia
• 3rd Place: The University of Arizona

Congratulations to our winners and to all the participants who are sharpening the skills necessary to protect our most critical public sector missions. We are honored to be a part of your journey toward a more resilient future.

Interested in playing Boss of the SOC on your own? Feel free to play the original BOTS version at bots.splunk.com, or register for .conf26 and BOTS11, debuting in September 2026.