Seven students from the École nationale d'informatique of Fianarantsoa, known as ENI, represented Madagascar at the CyberCup Indian Ocean 2026 cybersecurity competition. The competition took place as part of the Indian Ocean Cybersecurity Forum (FCOI 2026), recently organized by the Indian Ocean Cybersecurity Observatory in Réunion. This was the first major regional gathering entirely dedicated to information security, data protection, and digital challenges in the region. Experts, companies, decision-makers, and students from the entire basin participated, coming from Madagascar, Réunion, Mauritius, Comoros, Mayotte, and Seychelles. The theme focused on "Humans at the Heart of Cybersecurity." The Ministry of Digital Development, Posts, and Telecommunications contributed to the participation of the Malagasy delegation in this technological competition, in line with its vision to develop digital skills.

Exceptional Results

The seven ENI students achieved outstanding results in the CyberCup Indian Ocean 2026. They ranked among the top ten talents in this large-scale cybersecurity competition. Madagascar secured 2nd place in the Indian Ocean region's Top 10. Furthermore, Ladydi Jénnysca Razanaparany, the only female ENI student in the Malagasy delegation, was the standout revelation of CyberCup Indian Ocean 2026, receiving a historic double distinction. She won the title of Top 1 Female in the region. Her journey perfectly illustrates excellence and the rise of female leadership in Madagascar's digital sector. Among the 58 finalists invited to Réunion from 558 initial participants, this young ENI student secured 4th place in the overall rankings. Her consistency and execution speed on ultra-complex challenges impressed the jury and organizers so much that they also awarded her the tournament's "Coup de Cœur" prize.

The Malagasy team also outperformed its opponents by becoming champions in the team Escape Game tournament. This is a timed team event where participants must solve cyber puzzles and unlock infrastructure to "escape" a crisis simulation. This cybersecurity competition organized in Réunion is a highly technical tournament designed to detect and reveal the best IT talents in the region. The Malagasy students proved they are part of the elite, with the capacity to compete on the regional and international stage.