Cyber Battle of the Emirates & Pro Capture the Flag Enthrall as HITB+CyberWeek Gets Underway in Abu Dhabi

The world’s brightest minds and future cyber warriors are ready to do battle as Hack In The Box (HITB), a cutting-edge platform for technical talks and trainings in cyber security knowledge, presents HITB+CyberWeek 2019 – an eminent platform for cybersecurity and the biggest HITB event of the year, which is taking place in Abu Dhabi from 12-17 October 2019.

As an all-encompassing cybersecurity forum for cyber professionals as well as students, teachers and families, HITB+CyberWeek is setting the precedent for global and regional future cyber innovation. With over 5000 visitors expected to pass through its doors during the event’s week-long duration, HITB+CyberWeek is delivering a lineup of 100+ activities including the highly-anticipated Cyber Battle of the Emirates (CBOE) and Pro Capture The Flag (PROCTF) Tournament. 

“Raising global awareness about the risks and importance of security in the digital age is a vital step towards tackling the cyber security challenges of tomorrow,” said Dhillon Kannabhiran, Founder and CEO of HITB.

“That’s why it is essential for governments and private sector players to collaborate in making cyber risk awareness and digital security solutions key strategic components of the digital transformation journey. With HITB+CyberWeek, we believe this innovative format is the catalyst needed to incite positive, real world change, and we are thrilled to be nurturing the minds of tomorrow while drawing together transformative partnerships between governments, the private sector, and academia.”

Youth & Families

The event kicks off with a family day on Saturday 12 October highlighting key topics such as ‘Are you aware of the dangers that your children face online?’, ‘Do you know the risks that teenagers are facing on social networking sites?’, and ‘Do you and your children know what a career in cybersecurity looks like?’. Aimed at teaching parents how to be cyber smart and shining light on the careers that await the next generation of cyber talent, these immersive sessions provide an educational and family-centric environment for families to familiarize themselves with the themes, technologies, and outlook of the cyber security sphere.

Setting the tone for things to come later in the week, Day 1 of HITB+CyberWeek is followed by five days of future-facing presentations such as a free HITB CommSec Track on 13-14 October. The main conference taking place from the 15-17 will feature keynote speakers such as Marc Rogers, VP of Cyber Security at Okta, co-founder of Veracode, Chris Wysopal and Intel’s Chief Security Researcher, Rodrigo Rubira Branco. 

Prepare for Battle

As visitors converge on HITB+CyberWeek, the entertainment is set to take-off as Cyber Battle of the Emirates (CBOE) – a training program and hacking competition for UAE high school and university students kicks into action on 13-14 October. This competition will see the UAE’s emerging cyber stars battle it out against the winners of Belgium Cyber Security Challenge and Italy’s leading edu CTF players.

The winners from CBOE will win a trip to HITB Amsterdam in 2020 and also be eligible to compete with professional teams in the Pro Capture the Flag (PROCTF) on October 15 to 17, at HITB+CyberWeek, to be in the running to win US$100,000 in cash. Featuring 25 selected teams from various Capture the Flag contests, the PROCTF is a new style of attack and defense contest that will come to life over three days.