For Undergraduate Students
Join the C.I.R.C.U.S.

A circus-themed, scenario-driven competition where undergraduate teams act as incident responders and digital forensics consultants after a simulated breach.

2026-2027 Season · Incident Response · Digital Forensics · Reporting
Open to undergraduate teams across community colleges, universities, and trade schools.

Key 2026-2027 Dates

Open Information Sessions: Sept. 10 & 17, 2026
Coastline College Invitational: Sept. / Oct. 2026
Season Registration Opens: November 1, 2026
CIRCUS Regional Images Released: Dec. 5, 2026
CIRCUS Regional Reports Due: January 16, 2027
Regional Final (Presos) Dates:
East @Liberty University: Jan. 23, 2027 9–5PM EST
West @Coastline College: Jan. 30th, 2027 9-5PM PST
At-Large Virtual Feb. 13th, 2027 9-5PM PST
National Finals:
@ Southern California Linux Exposition (SCALE)
Pasadena Convention Center · Pasadena, California
Saturday, April 3rd, 2027 8AM - 6PM PST

Welcome to CIRCUS

Show off and hone your skills in incident response and computer forensics by investigating a client breach, assembling the story, and delivering professional findings.

What is the CIRCUS Competition?

Teams receive a client scenario and forensic artifacts from a compromised environment. Your job is to determine what happened, document how it happened, and communicate clear recommendations. You’ll be scored on the completeness of your reports, professionalism, recommendations, and presentations.

CIRCUS emphasizes not just technical analysis, but also evidence handling, chain of custody, and clear communication with legal, executive, and non-technical stakeholders.

Core Focus Areas

  • Incident response procedures and decision-making
  • Evidence handling, documentation, and chain of custody
  • Host, log, and network forensics
  • Technical and executive-level report writing
  • Final oral presentation and Q&A with judges

Get Started

New to CIRCUS? Start by reviewing the competition rules and the 2026-2027 schedule, then work with your faculty / staff advisor to register a team. This button will take you to register for the 1st event of the Season!

Sign up now for the Coastline College CIRCUS Invitational!