A hackathon is a time-limited event where participants work together on practical technical problems. In cybersecurity, it may involve investigating a simulated incident, analyzing digital evidence, or developing a defensive tool. The goal is usually hands-on learning and collaboration, not necessarily producing a finished product.
Hackathons help participants practice solving unfamiliar problems under time pressure, sharing findings, and checking conclusions. These skills are useful in incident response, digital forensics, and threat analysis. Security-focused events should use controlled environments and authorized scenarios so that practice does not expose real systems or data. A hackathon is a training format, not evidence that a real cyberattack has occurred.