NADRA Launches Bug Bounty Challenge 2026 Offering Attractive Prizes

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has launched its first-ever Bug Bounty Challenge 2026, offering attractive prizes to top performers. Organized in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission and the National Cyber Emergency Response Team, the initiative aims to strengthen the cybersecurity of Pakistan’s digital identity ecosystem. The competition is team-based and focuses on advanced cybersecurity assessments and responsible vulnerability identification, fostering emerging talent, ethical security practices, and public trust in national digital identity systems.

Selected universities and NADRA partner institutions will participate, engaging students, ethical hackers, and cybersecurity professionals from across the country. Regional rounds will begin on January 27, 2026, at major universities including GIKI Swabi, NUST Islamabad, UET Lahore, NED University Karachi, and BUITEMS Quetta. The concluding ceremony will be held at NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad, with the date to be announced later. NADRA clarified that the challenge is exclusively open to participating universities and partner organizations.

In a related development, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi inaugurated a new NADRA registration centre in Dargai, Malakand, alongside Provincial Director General NADRA Khalid Inayatullah and other officials. The facility, located near Dir–Malakand Road, features three counters for female applicants, five for male applicants, and a dedicated passport processing counter, enhancing public access to registration services.