16 budding cyber security experts took part in a challenge to qualify for the finals of the Cyber Security Challenge, this weekend.
The QinetiQ Network Defence Final, in Malvern, was one of three second round competitions taking place, which will see 86 candidates from the online first found be whittled down to 30. These 30 will then meet again at HP’s labs in Bristol for the Masterclass Final on March 10th.
The competition is aimed at attracting people into the cyber security profession, offering them a range of prizes including subscriptions to the National Skills Academy for IT, as well as bespoke career building and education-focused prizes such as private sector training courses.
Competitors took part in a weekend of face-to-face cyber ‘battles’ designed to mimic real world cyber attacks on IT networks, and testing their ability to protect network integrity. The competition was split into two categories reflecting the different security needs of a home or a small business, and focusing on designing, building, and defending secure networks.
Tony Dyhouse, principal security consultant on advanced cyber threat at QinetiQ, said, “The attacks encountered by the candidates this weekend are typical of what small businesses and home users face. For many candidates security is an interest or hobby they have pursued on their own but today we are testing not only their technical skills, but also their ability to work in a team, understanding the strengths and weakness of their colleagues. It’s this more rounded skills set that employers value most.”
Of the 16 who took part this weekend, eight progressed to the finals. Among those was Cambridge IT professional Anthony Cox, who said, “We were thrown into real life scenarios which are not every day. It was good fun and gives you the opportunity to learn more skills. It adds weight to decisions at work and makes you think I must be doing something right, as I am proving myself by taking part in the Challenge. It also affects recommendations you make in the real world by considering cyber security aspects.”
Anonymous hacker threat
Last week the Home Office announced three new regional cyber security policing units in England, as part of a GB pound 30m investment over the next four years.
The growing threat of hacking has received widespread media coverage with groups like Anonymous and Lulz Security staging a string of high-profile attacks. Both have claimed responsibility for bringing the CIA website down, with Anonymous’ latest attack against the American intelligence service bringing the site down for several hours last Friday (10th February).
Anonymous also managed to leak a phone call between FBI and Metropolitan Police officers the previous week, in which officers discussed suspected hackers and the upcoming ACPO e-crime summit in Sheffield, which took place last week (you can listen to that call in the below embedded video).
For more information about the Cyber Security Challenge, visit their website here.