AnyTime News 
Anytime News Network | Pooja Shrivastava
Punjab National Bank (PNB), in collaboration with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, has announced the launch of “PSB Hackathon 2026,” a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening cyber resilience across India’s public sector banks. The event is being conducted under the guidance of the Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, and coordinated by the Indian Banks’ Association.
The 2026 theme — “Quantum-Proof Systems for Public-Facing Applications” — reflects India’s strategic push to prepare its digital financial ecosystem against emerging quantum threats. The hackathon will focus on building a software-based cryptographic scanner capable of validating quantum-resistant ciphers and generating a comprehensive Cryptographic Bill of Materials (CBOM) for banking applications.
The proposed solutions will assess cryptographic risks across web servers, APIs, and critical digital interfaces. PNB aims to build indigenous capabilities in post-quantum cryptography evaluation and scalable security tools.
Open to students from recognized institutions nationwide, teams of three to four members with expertise in cybersecurity, cryptography, AI, ML, and software development are encouraged to participate. Winners will compete for prizes worth up to ₹11 lakh.
With this initiative, PNB reinforces its commitment to innovation-driven national security and aligns with India’s vision of building a quantum-secure public banking infrastructure.
