UK financial firms test AI-era cyber readiness at hackathon

In early May 2026, 33 two-person teams from 16 organizations took part in the inaugural Financial Services Security Hackathon in the UK. The two-day event was hosted by Lloyds Banking Group, Google Cloud Security and Hack The Box. Teams competed in simulated attack and response scenarios.

Challenges covered web vulnerability exploitation, digital forensics, open-source intelligence investigations, cryptography, payment systems security and vulnerability discovery. Organizers included AI-related tasks to reflect how machine learning tools are used in offensive and defensive cyber operations.

Organizers framed the event as a way to measure incident readiness, decision-making under pressure and teamwork across financial services. Early-stage response is important to limit the impact of breaches on highly connected systems.

Matt Rowe, chief security officer at Lloyds Banking Group, described the exercises as realistic practice that helps organizations strengthen defensive capabilities and coordinate responses across the sector.

Nikos Fountas, chief operating officer at Hack The Box, described the contest as a shift from static training to tests of real-world readiness, noting it evaluates judgment under pressure and benchmarks teams against industry peers.

The winning team, Nine Lives With Zero Days, combined a machine learning expert with a senior penetration tester. Team members described themselves as “shocked and thrilled” to win after two challenging days.

Organizers added that while AI can speed repetitive or well-scoped tasks, defending financial systems requires context, adaptability and hands-on experience. Challenges were designed with the potential effects of models like Anthropic’s Claude Mythos in mind.

Hosts view events like the hackathon as a way for firms to identify gaps in playbooks and teamwork and to create a benchmark for industry performance as banks and related firms address the growing use of AI in cyber threats and incident response.