The Mentalist: Digital Deception

Event Description: Think like a detective. Investigate like a hacker. Solve like a Mentalist. A story-driven investigation event by GENE with SAT , where teams crack a simulated cyber incident using suspect profiles, digital logs and encoded clues to unmask the mastermind.

Date of the Event: 23rd November

Registration Fee: ₹100 - per person

Registration Process: Participants will have to register on the official Saturnalia registration platform before the deadline mentioned on the platform. Participation may be subject to shortlisting in case of an overwhelming response. Only shortlisted participants, if applicable, will be notified about the further process. Participants must provide the required details and complete all necessary registration formalities within the specified deadline. Participation is exclusively open to college students possessing valid college ID cards for the current academic year. Participants must carry their valid college ID card during the event. The registration fee, if applicable, will be communicated through the official registration platform.

Rules and Regulations: Who is eligible? College students. Teams of 3 to 4 members , and cross-year and cross-branch teams are allowed. No advanced cybersecurity knowledge is needed. Bring a laptop.

Performance Guidelines: Round 1 – The

Profile (20 min): Find contradictions in suspect statements. Round 2 – The Digital

Trail (25 min): Analyse logs, IPs and timestamps. Round 3 – The

Code (25 min): Solve cryptography and encoding challenges. Final Round – The

Mastermind (30 min): Present WHO, HOW, WHY and PROOF with evidence. All challenges are simulated. Touching real systems, sharing answers or tampering will lead to disqualification.

Judging Criteria: Technical Accuracy (40%), Evidence Used (30%), Logical Reasoning (20%), Final Explanation (10%).

Tie-breaker: Fewer hints used and/or faster completion.

Results: A panel of judges will declare the results soon after the competition ends.