HACKERS4HUMANITY 2026
(One Pen Test. One Future Changed.)

OFFICIAL COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Effective Date: 15 January 2026

These Official Competition Terms and Conditions, along with the Terms of Use, applicable Terms of Service and Privacy Policy (“Terms”) govern participation in Hackers4Humanity 2026, a global social impact initiative powered by EC-Council’s Great Pen Testing Challenge for Charity (the “Program”), organised and operated by International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, Inc. (“EC-Council”, “Organiser”, “we”, “us”, or “our”).

By submitting a nomination or participating in the Program, each individual Participant agrees to be legally bound by these Terms.

1. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

  1. Hackers4Humanity 2026 is a global social impact initiative under which selected cybersecurity professionals (“Participant(s)”) are invited to attempt the Certified Penetration Testing Professional (CPENT) examination at no cost to the Participant. For each Participant who successfully passes the CPENT examination in accordance with EC-Council’s published criteria, EC-Council will allocate Training Credits to a Partner Organisation for distribution to eligible learners.
  2. The Program is conducted solely for the 2026 cycle. EC-Council reserves the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue the Program at any time at its sole discretion, and the Program does not create any obligation on EC-Council to repeat, extend, or renew the initiative. For the avoidance of doubt, This Program is not a lottery, raffle, or gambling activity, and no purchase or payment is required to participate. Participation is subject to eligibility criteria and selection at EC-Council’s discretion.

2. ELIGIBILITY

  1. Participation is open to individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years of age at the time of nomination and who possess demonstrable experience in cybersecurity or penetration testing. Demonstrable experience may include professional roles, certifications, training, publications, or community contributions, as determined by EC‑Council in its discretion. Participants must submit a complete nomination during the nomination period announced on the official Program website and provide accurate and complete information.
  2. Participation is void where prohibited by applicable law, and where Participants fail to meet eligibility criteria provided under these Terms. Individuals who are subject to export restrictions, sanctions, or trade compliance prohibitions under applicable laws are not eligible to participate. EC-Council reserves the right to verify eligibility at any stage of the Program and to disqualify, without notice or liability, any Participant who is found to have misrepresented their eligibility, provided inaccurate information, or otherwise failed to meet the eligibility requirements.

3. NOMINATION AND SELECTION

  1. The Program shall consist of a nomination phase followed by a selection phase. Individuals may nominate themselves or nominations may be submitted by a qualified third party on their behalf. All nominations must be submitted in accordance with the instructions published on the official Program website during the designated nomination period. Submission of a nomination does not guarantee selection into the Program, and EC-Council assumes no obligation to respond to or provide feedback on any nomination.
  2. Participants shall be selected by a committee appointed by EC-Council. Selection shall be based on a variety of factors including professional qualifications, demonstrated capability, community contribution, and the Program’s diversity and geographic representation objectives. Selection criteria shall be applied in a manner consistent with applicable non‑discrimination laws. All selection decisions shall be final and not be subject to appeal, review, or challenge by any Participant or nominating party. EC-Council shall not be obliged to disclose the reasons for any selection or non-selection decision. Nothing in these Terms obliges EC-Council to accept any nomination or admit any individual into the Program.

4. EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

  1. Selected Participants shall receive a single-use CPENT examination voucher valid solely for use under the Program. The voucher is non-transferable, has no monetary value, and may not be redeemed outside the Program. The examination must be scheduled within the timeline specified by EC-Council. Failure to activate or schedule the examination within the specified period shall result in automatic forfeiture of the voucher and the Participant’s place in the Program. 
  2. The CPENT examination must be completed within a continuous forty-eight (48) hour period. Once started, the examination may not be paused, suspended, or restarted for any reason. However, reasonable accommodations required by applicable law may be provided upon prior request and approval.
  3. The examination will be conducted in a proctored remote environment and requires submission of a written penetration testing report in accordance with CPENT standards.
  4. A minimum score of seventy percent (70%) is required to pass. Participants achieving a score of ninety percent (90%) or higher may qualify for recognition under the Program. No retakes shall be permitted under this initiative. Failure to complete the examination within the prescribed 48-hour period, for any reason including technical difficulties on the part of the Participant, shall result in forfeiture of the voucher and disqualification from the Program.
  5. EC-Council shall not be responsible for any failure or inability to complete the examination arising from the Participant’s internet connectivity, hardware, software, or technical environment. Participants are solely responsible for ensuring that their examination environment meets the technical requirements of EC-Council prior to commencement
  6. EC-Council makes no representation, warranty or guarantee that any Participant will pass the examination or achieve any particular score. The examination is a genuine assessment of professional competence and results reflect the Participant’s individual performance.

5. CERTIFICATION AND SCHOLARSHIP ALLOCATION

  1. For each successful Participant, EC-Council will allocate United States Dollars One Thousand (USD 1,000) in non-monetary, non-transferable credits redeemable solely for EC-Council courses, labs, and certification vouchers (“Training Credits“) to an EC-Council-approved non-profit organisation designated to receive and distribute such Training Credits to eligible learners (“Partner Organisation“). Partner Organisations shall be selected at EC-Council’s sole discretion and may vary by jurisdiction.
  2. Allocation of Training Credits is contingent upon verification of examination results and EC-Council’s confirmation of the Participant’s continued eligibility at the time of allocation. EC-Council does not guarantee the availability of a Partner Organisation in any jurisdiction and shall bear no liability for any delay in, or inability to effect, the allocation of Training Credits arising from the absence of a Partner Organisation in each region.
  3. Training Credits must be utilised within twelve (12) months of the date of issuance, after which any unused Training Credits shall automatically expire and revert to the Program. Training Credits have no cash value and may not be redeemed for monetary compensation under any circumstances.
  4. Participants acknowledge and agree that they shall have no right, title, or ownership interest in any Training Credits allocated under the Program, and that all Training Credits are allocated solely to the relevant Partner Organisation. EC-Council bears no responsibility for the manner in which a Partner Organisation administers, distributes, or applies Training Credits to eligible learners, and EC-Council’s sole obligation under this Program is limited to the allocation of Training Credits to the relevant Partner Organisation.
  5. EC-Council makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee as to any minimum number of Training Credit allocations under the Program. The total number of allocations shall be determined at EC-Council’s sole discretion and is subject to verified examination outcomes, Program capacity, Partner Organisation availability, and such other operational factors as EC-Council may consider relevant. EC-Council makes no representation, warranty, or guarantee as to any specific educational, certification, employment, or career outcome for any individual receiving training through a Partner Organisation under the Program.

6. EXAM INTEGRITY AND PROHIBITED CONDUCT

  1. Participants shall at all times adhere strictly to EC-Council’s examination integrity requirements as published in the official CPENT examination guidelines. Without limitation, Participants shall not:
    1. collaborate with, seek assistance from, or communicate with any third party during the examination for any purpose;
    2. share, disclose, reproduce, or transmit any examination content, questions, scenarios, or materials during or after the examination, whether in whole or in part;
    3. use any tools, software, platforms, or devices not expressly permitted under the official CPENT examination guidelines; or
    4. engage in any conduct designed to manipulate, circumvent, or interfere with the examination environment or proctoring mechanisms.
  2. Participants may use only those tools permitted under the official CPENT examination guidelines. The use of generative artificial intelligence systems, AI-assisted code or report generation tools, automated exploitation platforms not permitted under the CPENT guidelines, or external large language models to analyse examination content is strictly prohibited.
  3. EC-Council reserves the right to employ monitoring mechanisms including remote proctoring, screen recording, identity verification, browser lockdown technology, behavioural analytics, plagiarism detection, and AI-detection tools (“ECC Tools”). By participating in this Program, Participants agree to be monitored by such ECC Tools. Participants acknowledge that data collected through ECC Tools may be processed and retained by EC-Council and its authorised proctoring partners in accordance with EC-Council’s Privacy Policy and applicable data protection law. Participants who do not consent to monitoring will be unable to participate in the examination and will be deemed to have forfeited their participation in the Program.
  4. Where EC-Council has reasonable grounds to suspect a breach of examination integrity, EC-Council may, at its sole discretion and without prior notice:
    1. suspend or terminate the Participant’s examination session;
    2. withhold or invalidate the Participant’s examination results pending investigation; and
    3. refer the matter for review under EC-Council’s certification integrity procedures.
  5. All determinations made by EC-Council in connection with examination integrity and misconduct shall be final and binding, subject to any rights that cannot be excluded under applicable law. EC-Council shall not be obliged to disclose the details of its investigation methodology or the evidence relied upon in reaching any determination.

7. EXPORT CONTROL AND SANCTIONS COMPLIANCE

  1. Participation in the Program is conditioned upon compliance with all applicable export control regulations and economic sanctions laws and regulations, including those administered and enforced by relevant governmental authorities.
  2. Each Participant hereby represents, warrants, and covenants that:
    1. they are not located in, ordinarily resident in, or a national or citizen of any jurisdiction subject to a comprehensive embargo or sanctions program;
    2. they are not designated on, or owned or controlled by any party designated on, any applicable restricted party or sanctions list maintained by a governmental authority; and
    3. they will not use, transfer, or otherwise make available any Program-related materials, benefits, or information in violation of applicable export control or sanctions laws.
  3. EC-Council reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to conduct restricted party and sanctions screening of Participants at any time. EC-Council may deny, suspend, or permanently revoke a Participant’s access to or participation in the Program, without liability, to the extent required or deemed prudent for compliance with applicable law. Participants acknowledge that EC-Council shall bear no responsibility for any loss or inconvenience arising from such compliance-driven measures.

8. ETHICS AND REPUTATIONAL PROTECTION

  1. Participants agree to conduct themselves in accordance with professional ethical standards, EC-Council’s Code of Ethics and applicable law. EC-Council reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to disqualify or remove recognition from any Participant whose conduct, whether related or unrelated to the Program, may, in EC-Council’s discretion, be considered unlawful, unethical, discriminatory, abusive, or likely to harm EC-Council’s reputation.
  2. Participants who are disqualified or removed from recognition pursuant to this clause shall not be entitled to any compensation, replacement voucher, or alternative participation opportunity

9. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

  1. All CPENT examination materials, labs, content, scoring methodologies, branding, and related intellectual property remain the exclusive property of EC-Council and its licensors. Nothing in these Terms and nothing arising from a Participant’s participation in the Program grant any ownership or licence rights in EC-Council’s intellectual property rights beyond the limited right to access the examination for the purposes of participation.
  2. Participants shall not reproduce, distribute, reverse engineer, or publicly disclose examination content.
  3. To the extent that a Participant produces any work product in connection with the examination, including penetration testing reports, findings, or documentation (“Participant Submissions”), the Participant grants EC-Council a non-exclusive, perpetual, royalty-free, worldwide licence to use, reproduce, and reference such Participant Submissions solely for the purposes of assessment, program administration, quality assurance, and internal research. No Participant Submission shall be publicly attributed to or identified with the Participant without their prior written consent, subject to the recognition provisions in Clause 11.
  4. Participants acknowledge that any breach of this clause may cause irreparable harm to EC-Council for which monetary damages would be an inadequate remedy. EC-Council shall be entitled to seek immediate injunctive or other equitable relief in addition to any other remedies available at law or under these Terms, without the requirement to post bond or prove actual damages.

10. DATA PROTECTION

  1. EC-Council will process personal data for the purposes of administering the Program, conducting the examination, issuing certification, allocating scholarships, maintaining examination integrity, and reporting on the Program’s impact. The collection, use and processing of personal data shall be subject to EC-Council’s privacy policy found here.
  2. Data collected may include identification information, contact details, professional background, examination results, technical metadata, and proctoring recordings. Data may be transferred internationally within EC-Council’s group and to service providers subject to appropriate safeguards.
  3. Participants may request access, correction, or deletion of their personal data in accordance with applicable law by contacting [email protected]. Withdrawal of consent for publicity shall apply prospectively.

11. PUBLICITY AND RECOGNITION

  1. Subject to Clause 10, EC-Council reserves the right to publish the name, professional profile, and achievements of successful Participants on the Hackers4Humanity Hall of Fame platform and in connection with Program-related publicity, including HackerHalted 2026 and associated communications and marketing materials.
  2. Participants who do not wish to be featured may opt out by submitting a written request to [email protected] prior to date of publication. EC-Council will use reasonable efforts to honour such requests, provided they are received atleast 10 days before publication date.
  3. Recognition at HackerHalted 2026, including in-person participation, is subject to logistical feasibility and operational constraints at EC-Council’s discretion and does not include guaranteed travel, visa, or accommodation sponsorship unless separately agreed in writing. Participants are solely responsible for all costs associated with attendance at any in-person event unless expressly agreed otherwise.
  4. Successful completion of the CPENT examination under the Program does not automatically entitle a Participant to any specific form of recognition. The nature, format, timing, and extent of recognition shall be determined by EC-Council at its sole discretion and may vary between Participants based on operational, logistical, and program considerations.

12. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

  1. In addition to the provisions of Clause 21 of the Terms of Use, to the maximum extent permitted by law, EC-Council shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages arising from participation in the Program. EC-Council shall not be responsible for technical failures, internet disruptions, or system incompatibilities affecting Participant access.

13. FORCE MAJEURE

  1. EC-Council shall not be liable for any delay, modification, suspension, or cancellation of the Program resulting from events beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to natural disasters, government restrictions, cyberattacks, infrastructure failures, public health emergencies, regulatory changes, or event venue disruptions.
  2. EC-Council may modify timelines, conduct virtual recognition events, or cancel the Program in such circumstances without liability.

14. MODIFICATION AND TERMINATION

  1. EC-Council reserves the right to amend these Terms at any time. Updated Terms shall be published on the official Program website. Continued participation constitutes acceptance of any modifications.

15. GOVERNING LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION

  1. These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Mexico, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.
  2. Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms shall first be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If not resolved within thirty (30) days, the dispute shall be submitted to binding arbitration in the State of New Mexico in accordance with applicable arbitration rules. The arbitral decision shall be final and binding.

16. ENTIRE AGREEMENT

  1. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between EC-Council and the Participant regarding the Program and supersede all prior communications relating to the Program.