After holding qualifying rounds in Quetta and Lahore, Ignite National Technology Fund, a public sector organisation affiliated with the Ministry of IT & Telecom, held the qualification round of the Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathon 2022 in Karachi on December 1, 2022.
By conducting nationwide cyber drills and finding cybersecurity talent for both public and private sector businesses, the Cybersecurity Hackathon seeks to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity preparation, protection, and incident response capabilities.
Ignite’s general manager, Dr. Zain ul Abdin, expressed excitement about hosting Pakistan’s second national cybersecurity hackathon in five locations this year. He stated that the Cyber Security Hackathon 2022 will teach and prepare Pakistani cyber security professionals.
“The goal of the cybersecurity hackathon is to create awareness about the increasing importance of cybersecurity for Pakistan and also to identify and motivate cybersecurity talent that can be hired by public and private sector organisations to secure their networks from cyberattacks,” said Asim Shahryar Husain, CEO of Ignite, in a speech given at the event.
“There is a 3–4 million person global deficit of cybersecurity professionals. Therefore, this is a terrific chance for Pakistan to develop the cybersecurity skills of its IT graduates so that they can increase our IT exports in the future,” he continued.
“Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathon is a start towards leveraging the national talent to build a national cybersecurity response team,” stated the event’s chief guest, Mohsin Mushtaq, Additional Secretary (Incharge) IT & Telecommunication.
“Ignite will keep holding these contests every year to find new talent. I want to thank CEO Ignite and his team for organising a nationwide competition to inspire cybersecurity experts and students across Pakistan,” he continued.
Leading cybersecurity specialists were asked to give keynote speeches at the event, including Mehzad Sahar, Group Head InfoSec at Engro Corp., who spoke on Smart InfoSec Strategy, and Moataz Salah, CEO of Cyber Talents, Egypt.
During the event, panelists from business, academia, and MoITT representatives took part in two panel discussions on “Indigenous Capability & Emerging Technologies” and “Cyber Threats and Protection Approaches.”
A cybersecurity quiz competition was also a feature of the event, in which 17 teams from various universities took part. Certificates were given to the top three teams in the tournament.
For the Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathon 2022, 41 teams travelled from Karachi.
Following the eight-hour hackathon, the top three teams were “Team Control” (Winner), “Revolt” (1st Runner-up), and “ASD” (2nd Runner-up).
Later this month in Islamabad, these top teams will participate in the hackathon’s final round.
