Securing IT infrastructure in the UAE’s future Smart City environment is imperative, and ethical hackers are an essential component to the development of solid cyber defences. As part of the du Cyber Security Conference 2014, du invites student ethical hackers to register now for the du Hackathon, which will take place from 8am-2 pm on 18 September at the Armani Hotel, Dubai.
Marwan Abdulla Bin Dalmook, Senior Vice President - Technology Security & Risk Management, Operations, du, said: “Our Smart future is reliant upon the continuous development of solid security systems that protect our hyperconnected world. Today’s technologically-savvy youth are vital components of Smart City culture; they are the ones who will carry smart tech to the next level, and we are keen to nurture the capabilities of such talented individuals in our community. Through our inaugural Hackathon, we aim to not only showcase and hone the skills of students in the UAE, but to demonstrate the strength of security that is crucial to the seamless connectivity that a Smart City will thrive upon.”
Entrants will be grouped into 10 teams of 3-5 members, to tackle multiple levels of a smart city model. Each level will be scored, with teams earning points based on the systems they successfully hack. The team with the highest points at the end will win the competition, taking home prize money of AED 20,000 and certificates of participation.
Scenarios that participants will have to hack are based on major critical infrastructure categories – transportation, energy, communications and construction, with technologies that can be found in a smart city. Amongst other tasks, hackers will try to control the lights and air supply of a train tunnel, the operation of a water reservoir, a communication tower, and a crane.
Students interested in registering for the du Hackathon can do so by visiting: http://www.du.ae/en/Student-InfoSec-Award. Registration closes on 27 August 2014.
The du Cyber Security Conference is an annual event, promoting and sharing information about the latest developments in cyber security, including information security risks, threats, vulnerabilities and safeguards.
Following the success of du’s inaugural Cyber Security Conference last year, du announced the second annual du Cyber Security Conference recently, which will be held on 18 September 2014 at the Armani Hotel in Dubai. The event this year will bring together eminent national, regional and international personalities, focussing on the importance of information security in Smart City and mGov initiatives, and its imperative role in the lead-up to Expo 2020.
-Ends-
About du
We opened for business in 2006. We offer mobile and fixed telephony, broadband connectivity and IPTV services to individuals, homes and businesses. We also provide carrier services for businesses and satellite up/downlink services for TV broadcasters. As a rapidly-growing enterprise, we have a team of experts working to enhance and expand our bouquet of service offerings. Our people come from over 60 countries - we mirror the rich cultural diversity of our nation, while being able to serve our customers in a variety of languages.
We remain committed to providing fulfilling opportunities for quality talent in a cosmopolitan working environment. By the end of Q1 2014, more than 7.5 million individual customers and over 80,000 businesses have chosen to use our services. In 2013 we were awarded the Dubai Chamber CSR Label for the second year in recognition of our continuing commitment to CSR best practice and the Small Energy Award – Golden Category at Emirates Energy Award for our LEED platinum-certified Fujairah retail shop. We were also awarded with the Premier Plan Best Business Service commsMEA awards in 2013 and the award Best Cloud Provider for Datamena at Telecom Review Industry Awards.
du is 39.5 percent owned by Emirates Investment Authority, 20.08 percent by Mubadala Development Company PJSC, 19.5 percent by Emirates Communications and Technology LLC and the remaining stake by public shareholders. du is listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM) and trades under the name ‘du’.
For further information, please contact:
|
Saugat Chatterjee |
Reka Sepsy |
Source: http://www.du.ae
