XSec 2026: THE DEEP TRACE
“One clue. One trail. Endless possibilities.”
1 October 2026 · International · Online · Open to Everyone
No Registration Required
About the event
Not a checklist of challenges. A story you follow.
XSec 2026: THE DEEP TRACE is a large-scale, international, online cyber mystery and puzzle hunt from XSec Solutions: a trail of interconnected challenges rather than a fixed list of isolated ones. Solving one clue uncovers the next, drawing on cryptography, steganography, OSINT, digital forensics, web security, encoding and decoding, programming, and logic along the way.
An original investigation
Created by XSec Solutions, combining cybersecurity, investigation, puzzles, riddles, and hidden clues into one connected experience.
A trail, not a checklist
Participants aren't simply solving isolated challenges: discoveries from earlier stages become important later on.
Genuinely international
Open to participants from anywhere in the world: no regional restrictions, no local-only rules.
Open participation
No registration and no fixed entry barrier, built to be approachable while progressively getting harder.
Discover → Investigate → Decode → Connect → Discover the Truth
The investigation
10 interconnected stages, each harder than the last.
No solutions or future clues are published ahead of time. Stage names and difficulty are shown here so you know what shape the trail takes, not what's inside it.
- 01
THE SIGNAL
Beginner - 02
THE TRACE
Easy - 03
THE HIDDEN LAYER
Intermediate - 04
THE CIPHER
Intermediate+ - 05
THE INVESTIGATION
Advanced - 06
THE EVIDENCE
Advanced - 07
THE DEEPER TRACE
Advanced+ - 08
THE BREAKPOINT
Expert - 09
THE FINAL SIGNAL
Expert+ - 10
THE DEEP TRACE
Final Investigation
Challenge categories
Several disciplines, one continuous thread.
Certificates
Earn a certificate for every stage you complete.
Participants who successfully complete an individual stage will be eligible to receive a certificate for that stage. You don't need to finish all 10 to be recognized for the ones you do.
Who can join?
Anyone. That's the point.
THE DEEP TRACE is open internationally, and no professional cybersecurity experience is required. It's designed to be accessible at the start and progressively more difficult as the trail deepens.
No registration required
Just follow the official channels and start when the first clue drops.
There's no sign-up form and no account to create for this event. When the first clue is released on our official channels, anyone can begin.
How it works
From first clue to certificate.
Stage submissions and certificate delivery are handled through our official channels and forms: simple by design, nothing to install or sign up for in advance.
- 1
Discover the first clue
- 2
Investigate
- 3
Solve the challenge
- 4
Unlock the next stage
- 5
Submit your stage completion
- 6
Earn your certificate
- 7
Continue deeper into the investigation
Stay connected
The mystery begins soon.
Join our official social channels to receive announcements, clues, and event updates.