Posted on December 14, 2025 at 9:05 PM

CloudFest Hackathon 2026

From March 20–22, 2026, the CloudFest Hackathon returns for its 9th edition at the prestigious Hotel Krønasår, Europa-Park (Rust, Germany). This international event has become a key meeting point for developers, cloud engineers, and cybersecurity professionals shaping the future of the open web. At KoDDoS, a leading provider of DDoS protection and cloud infrastructure security, we actively support open-source initiatives that strengthen the resilience, performance, and security of online services. CloudFest Hackathon perfectly aligns with our mission.

CloudFest Hackathon 2026: Security, Cloud & AI in Focus

Security, Resilience and AI at the Forefront

For 2026, CloudFest Hackathon is expanding its focus to include AI/ML engineers, prompt engineers, and next-generation innovators.

From a KoDDoS perspective, this evolution is strategic. Artificial intelligence plays a growing role in DDoS detection, traffic analysis, automated mitigation, and infrastructure optimization all critical capabilities in an era of increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

Projects integrating AI and machine learning are strongly encouraged, opening the door to new approaches in proactive and adaptive cloud security.

Why Cloud & Security Experts Should Apply

Who Should Apply

Web developers & software engineers
System administrators & DevOps engineers
Cloud architects
Security, performance, and reliability specialists
AI/ML engineers (new for 2026)
Students, graduates, and open-source contributors

What Selected Attendees Receive

Free access to CloudFest Hackathon (March 20–22, 2026)
Free access to CloudFest main event (March 23–26, 2026)
2-night stay at Hotel Krønasår (with breakfast)
Full catering during the hackathon
Exclusive CloudFest Hackathon 2026 swag
Mentorship from world-class industry experts
High-level networking within the cloud and security ecosystem

Application timeline

Opens: December 15, 2025 – 2:00 PM CET
Closes: January 11, 2026

👉 Apply here: https://hackathon.cloudfest.com

Only one public application round is planned, with 110 spots available.

Propose an Open-Source Project with Real-World Impact

KoDDoS strongly encourages projects that:

Improve cloud infrastructure resilience
Enhance application and network security
Address traffic analysis, abuse prevention, or DDoS mitigation
Leverage AI for automation and threat anticipation

Selected projects benefit from:

Pre-event refinement with expert mentors
Hands-on guidance during the hackathon
Visibility across CloudFest channels
Eligibility for six CloudFest Hackathon awards

📨 Submit your project:

https://hackathon.cloudfest.com/projects

KoDDoS and the CloudFest Ecosystem

CloudFest brings together hosting providers, cloud vendors, security experts, and open-source communities in a unique collaborative environment.

For KoDDoS, this ecosystem is essential to:

Anticipate the evolution of large-scale DDoS threats
Collaborate with open-source security communities
Promote secure-by-design cloud architectures
Support the next generation of cloud and security engineers

Key Dates to Remember

December 15, 2025 – Attendee applications open
January 11, 2026 – Application deadline
January–February 2026 – Project announcements
March 20–22, 2026 – CloudFest Hackathon #9
March 23–26, 2026 – CloudFest main event

The CloudFest Hackathon 2026 is more than a hackathon it is an open-source innovation accelerator at the intersection of cloud computing, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence.

Learn more and get involved: https://hackathon.cloudfest.com

At KoDDoS, we believe that open collaboration is a key pillar in building secure, high-performance, and resilient cloud infrastructures capable of withstanding modern cyber threats.