# CTRL+ALT+DEFEND!

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2026

Incoming: 4 bosses, 30 side quests, 1 month. Beat the campaign and the loot could be yours.

- **Stages:** 4
- **Daily quests:** 30
- **Resources:** 3
- **XP:** ∞

## Power-up with our cybersecurity resource kit

Equip yourself with the ultimate cybersecurity toolkit. Guides, checklists, attack maps and more, all free. No micro-transactions. No loot box RNG.

**Power-up: 3/3**

1. **Legendary — Hacker speak: decoded**
   - Glossary
2. **Rare — 30-day security posture checklist**
   - Checklist
3. **Epic — The classified intel pack**
   - Dossier

## How to play

### Three moves to clear a stage

1. ### Read intel
   Sixteen articles, four in every stage.
2. ### Fight the boss
   Ten questions. Six to clear, a perfect ten for Quiz Champion.
3. ### Claim your loot
   Three tiers. Each pays a certificate and a real-world gift.

## Level up every week

Complete all 4 stages to defeat the final boss and stand a chance to unlock legendary loot.

## Sysadmin side quest

Objective: defeat one security boss per day.

1. ### Follow the page
   Each daily quest drops on our [LinkedIn page](https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/manageengine-uem/posts/?feedView=all).
2. ### Do the task
   One small security job a day. Complete it.
3. ### Post the proof
   Share it and tag us. Use **#DefendwithEC**.

Beat the final boss. Roll for loot.

### Quiz Champion

Score 10/10 on any stage quiz. Prove you have the knowledge to fight the bosses. Perfect score required.

**Reward:** Personalised digital certificate of excellence + exclusive real-world gift

### DIY Defender

Complete 10+ side quest challenges and post on LinkedIn with **#DefendwithEC**. Show the community your defences are real.

**Reward:** Certified community defender certificate + exclusive real-world gift

### Double Agent

Complete all 4 stage quizzes **and** participate in the side quest challenge. The rarest achievement of all.

**Reward:** Legendary bundle certificate + exclusive real-world gift

### What you do

1. Finish all four quizzes.
2. Take part in the DIY security challenge.

### What you get

Stand a chance to win exciting real-world gifts, as an exclusive loot.

## Stage briefings

Four stages. Four bosses. Four intel drops per stage. Pick your stage, gear up with the articles, and take on the boss quiz.

## Lore archive: Cybersecurity Awareness Month

In the year 2004, the Cybersecurity Awareness Month quest began: a joint initiative between the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cybersecurity Alliance. What started as a simple awareness campaign has evolved into a global mission with players in over 70 countries.

Every October, defenders unite. Organisations share intel. Governments broadcast alerts. Security teams run drills. The cyber threat landscape grows more dangerous with each passing year. So do the defenders.

In 2026, the theme is clear: the threats are smarter, the attackers are faster, and the tools, AI included, can be used by both sides. Your mission is to become a Player 1 who never gets game over.

ManageEngine Endpoint Central has been protecting endpoints for over two decades. From patch management to threat intelligence, we are your power-up in this quest.

- **22YRS:** CAM in existence
- **70+:** Countries participating
- **$4.9M:** Global average cost of a data breach
- **194 DAYS:** Average time to identify a breach
- **89%:** Rise in AI-enabled attacks year on year
- **27 SEC:** Fastest recorded attacker breakout

## Brought to you by

![ManageEngine Endpoint Central](https://cdn.manageengine.com/images/productlogos/endpointcentral-melight.svg)

This campaign is produced by the ManageEngine Endpoint Central team as a free contribution to global cybersecurity education.

- Pixel Architects
- Campaign Command
- Code Warriors
- Threat Hunters
- Game Masters