The Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion, participating at GITEX Global 2022 for the 11th time, has hosted the first edition of ‘Capture the Flag’ competition for ethical hacking in-person. The competition comes in line with the Abu Dhabi Government’s participation at the 42nd edition of the leading global event, that was held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 10-14 October 2022.
The first round of the competition saw more than 600 teams take part in an online round. The top five teams with the highest total scores from the first round are competing in the final round that is being held in-person over five days at the Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion at GITEX Global 2022.
‘Capture the Flag’ is one of the most well-known ethical hacking competitions in the world. The competition will test the skills of ethical hackers to penetrate websites, apps and computer networks to test security levels and anticipate hacking attacks, hack hardware and reverse engineer, among others. The winners of the final round, to be announced on the last day of the event, will get valuable prizes funded by Trend Micro Company.
His Excellency Ali Rashid Al Ketbi, Chairman of the Department of Government Support (DGS), said: “At a very early stage, the Abu Dhabi Government realized the value of cybersecurity and the importance of protecting our networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. As a result, we organised this global challenge as part of broader efforts to encourage more people to take up jobs in cyber-security, build the cybersecurity skillset to deal with future cyber threats, and strengthen the cybersecurity capabilities in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi”.
His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Abdelhamid Al Askar, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Digital Authority, said: “The competition comes in line with Abu Dhabi Government’s efforts to enhance cybersecurity capabilities of government entities in the Emirate, as the competition aims to bring together teams to compete against each other in order to enhance participants’ capabilities in different areas of ethical hacking, such as web and mobile apps, hardware hacking, network hacking. By organising this challenge, we aim to bring together cybersecurity experts and ethical hackers, harness their skills, and leverage their expertise to boost the cybersecurity of Abu Dhabi.
H.E. Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti, Head of Cybersecurity, UAE Government said: “Capture the Flag is an amazing opportunity to put knowledge into practice. Cybersecurity plays an integral role in creating a safe digital environment for everyone with benefits that are not just economical but on a personal level affecting day-to-day lives. As industries and government entities around the UAE continue to be digitised, the importance of ethical hackers will only rise, and competitions like these will enable us to develop initiatives that promote cybersecurity awareness and educate the wider population.”
With its participation at GITEX Global 2022, the Abu Dhabi Government aims to enhance strategic public-private partnerships that present new opportunities for meaningful cooperation with academia and major global technology companies to support the Emirate’s digital agenda, which comprises government services, government solutions, data and artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and digital ecosystem enablement.
More than 30 government entities from Abu Dhabi are showcasing the latest projects and initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life in the Emirate and highlighting government entities’ important role in developing fast, effective, and proactive digital government solutions that enhance the efficiency of government performance and contribute to improving the customer experience.
Abu Dhabi Government’s participation in the global event is an extension of the great successes it achieved in the past. Last year, the Abu Dhabi Government Pavilion attracted more than 12,685 visitors, with 12 agreements and memoranda of understanding signed during the event, along with 100 innovative initiatives and projects in the field of digital transformation showcased at the pavilion.
