DUBAI, 28th September, 2023 (WAM) – Digital Dubai has launched the Emirati ‘Capture The Flag’ (CTF) Challenge as part of the initiatives under its affiliated Dubai Cyber Innovation Park (DCIPark), with an aim to enhance cybersecurity skills among Emirati students.

The challenge presents students with the task to uncover 15 vulnerabilities in a web application simulating the banking system.

Amer Sharaf AlHashmi, CEO of the Cybersecurity Systems and Services Sector at the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) – an affiliate of Digital Dubai – asserted that: “The Emirati CTF Challenge aims to boost skills of Emirati youth and invest in their cybersecurity innovations. Cybersecurity is now one of the most critical sectors, given the growing global demand for it, coupled with rapid technological advancements and growing security requirements of digital communities. The challenge provides a digital environment that simulates reality for participants, allowing them to propose and develop methods and tactics to uncover vulnerabilities and take swift and effective action to address cyberthreats.”

The Dubai Cyber Innovation Park (DCIPark) announced that registration is now open on the official website of the challenge: https://emirati.ctf.ae/, and will be available from 7 to 10 October. The challenge will run continuously for four days.

The Emirati CTF Challenge includes specific participation requirements: participants must be citizens of the United Arab Emirates and register for the challenge using their university email addresses. Additionally, the challenge is designed for individuals, not teams, and participants are required to maintain the confidentiality of the solutions they develop.