Events

@Hack to Kick-Off on November 28th

Published

2 weeks ago

November 16, 2021

@HACK, one of the largest dedicated cybersecurity events in the region is set to bring together the best minds in information security from around the world in Riyadh this November, to tackle the challenges of securing the digital world. The three-day @HACK event will define the future of cybersecurity in the region and help to ensure that the digital transformation in the Middle East and globally is able to continue at a rapid pace while staying safe and secure from cybersecurity threats.

As the use of technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace, almost every aspect of our lives, from banking and telecommunications to social media and entertainment has moved to the digital world. This reliance on information technology has also seen an explosion in cybersecurity threats, as hackers and criminals continuously look to exploit vulnerabilities and attack IT systems and devices. @HACK is bringing together the world’s leading cybersecurity experts to find new ways to address the challenges of cybersecurity, and to encourage collaboration and knowledge transfer to better protect our critical digital assets.

@HACK is organised by the Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP) and the largest events company in the world, Informa Markets, in association with the renowned cybersecurity event Black Hat. The event is of global significance and will feature a range of different tracks including an Executive Summit, in-depth briefings, training sessions and hacking challenges.

Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman, SAFCSP

“It gives us immense pleasure to launch @Hack, the region’s largest hacking and infosec event, during Riyadh Season in November – three times larger than any cyber security event that has happened before in the Middle East, Africa and Asia.” said, Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman, SAFCSP. “Saudi Arabia is undergoing a rapid process of digital transformation in line with Vision 2030, and in this highly connected digital world, it is vitally important that we have the knowledge, skills and security tools to protect our critical systems and data. The Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP) is proud to be presenting @HACK, and we believe this event will become an essential platform for the global cybersecurity community to come together to share expertise and define the strategies that will ensure that Saudi Arabia, and the world, will be able to reap the benefits of the digital future while preventing cybersecurity threats.”

The Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones is responsible for developing skills and capabilities in the Saudi workforce in next-generation technology fields including cybersecurity, software development, drones and other advanced. During @HACK, which runs from November 28 to 30, cybersecurity experts, ethical hackers, risk and IT professionals, government policy makers, researchers and academics, and other stakeholders in the security sphere will come together to discuss emerging security risks, policy and regulation, best practice and new solutions that will address the wide-ranging issues facing the global cybersecurity sector today.

Michael Champion, Regional EVP, Informa Markets

@HACK will leverage Black Hat’s expertise in producing some of the best regarded programs in the global cybersecurity community, which include hacking challenges, presentations of the latest cutting-edge research, training and education sessions and other engaging events, to create a must-attend event for the region. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the current and future threats emerging from the fast-moving security landscape and explore the solutions that top professionals and security companies are developing to address these threats.

Among the speakers confirmed to be taking part @HACK are:

Jayson E. Street, VP of InfoSec, SphereNY, who is described by National Geographic as a “World Class Hacker” and author of ‘Dissecting the hack: Series’ who has successfully robbed banks, hotels, government facilities, Biochemical companies, on five continents.

Jenny Radcliffe, AKA The People Hacker, is a Social Engineer hired to bypass security systems. Jenny was recognised as one of the top 25 Women in Cyber in 2020 and won the Most Educational Security Blog 2020. She is also the host of the award-winning podcast “The Human Factor”, interviewing industry leaders, bloggers, experts, fellow social engineers and con-artists about all elements of security.

Bruce Schneier, dubbed ‘The Security Guru’ by The Economist is a candid security critic and commentator. His influential security newsletter ‘Crypto-Gram’ has over 250,000 readers, and he has authored over a dozen bestselling books on cyber security including ‘Applied Cryptography’.

Alongside the global lineup of speakers, @HACK will also feature the leading companies in the cybersecurity space in the Business Hall, including Fortinet, Kaspersky, Spire Solutions, IBM, Honeywell, Cisco, RSA, Qualys, and Dragos. More exhibitors than any cybersecurity event in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia will participate in the show, with demonstrations and product launches of the latest cutting-edge security solutions, from across all areas of the industry including software, services, and training. The Business Hall will include Innovation City, a showcase of some of the most exciting and innovative cybersecurity startups from around the world, adding up to make the largest ever gathering of infosec vendors in the region.

With over 14,000 visitors expected, @HACK show will feature several different themes and tracks to cater to the diverse audience, including

The Executive Summit: The primary conference attracting CISO’s from powerhouse organisations
Arsenal – Where developers submit projects and selected developers demonstrate open-source tools at an informal workshop
Briefings – Where infosec experts present research on industry trends, hacking tools and security vulnerabilities.
Trainings – 50 Black Hat-approved trainers will conduct these technical sessions in a hands-on environment.
Capture The Flag – a hacking tournament for 1,000+ (300 teams) participants to enhance their ethical hacking skills

The Training and technical courses that will on offer during @HACK will focus on topics such as offensive security, techniques in penetration testing, infrastructure hacking, mobile application security, and more. “We are very excited to present @HACK in Saudi Arabia, a nation that is taking its place as the leading hub for advanced technology in the region,” said Mike Champion, Regional Executive Vice President of Informa Markets. “Saudi Arabia’s inspirational vision and their commitment to technological advancement makes the Kingdom an ideal destination for such mega events and we look forward to welcoming the global cybersecurity community to Riyadh.”

Registration for @HACK is now open and for more information on @Hack, please visit www.athack.com.

Cyber Security

Successful HITB+CyberWeek 2021 Concludes With PRO CTF Competition Final

Published

19 hours ago

November 29, 2021

Edward Frank

Hack In The Box, a cutting-edge platform for technical talks and training in cyber security knowledge, has concluded HITB+CyberWeek 2021, closing the curtain on another resoundingly successful edition at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). Brought by Disrupt AD, ADQ’s ventures platform connect pioneering, visionary, and entrepreneurial minds to displace the norm and scale globally from Abu Dhabi, the highly anticipated five-day hybrid event lived up to its billing as the next meaningful step in cyber security industry progression.

From 21-25 November, HITB+CyberWeek 2021 welcomed over 2,000 attendees and ten start-ups from around the world in a fresh bid to examine the current cyber landscape, analyse its future trajectory, combat emerging threats, and establish a new cyber smart world – hosting conferences, exhibitions, competitions, and training opportunities. Having brought together the world’s leading cyber security professionals to share their latest knowledge, ideas, and techniques with up-and-coming talent and the wider cyber community, the event concluded with an action-packed final day in the UAE capital.

Dhillon Kannabhiran, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, HITB, said: “With the cyber threat landscape expanding as our industry continues experiencing radical change, this year’s HITB+CyberWeek was perhaps the most important to date. The most practical way to drive required cyber security reform and implement innovative, next-generation measures is to bring the world’s greatest minds, influencers, talent, and professionals together. And upon reflection, this year’s event has certainly served as a platform to accelerate these efforts, emulating the success of previous editions and positioning the wider cyber community to realize its objectives and mandates in 2022 and beyond.”

A HITB+CyberWeek mainstay, the final day highlight was the conclusion of the prestigious Pro Capture the Flag (PRO CTF) competition, which saw teams from all over the globe battle it out for glory, USD 116 thousand, and extra bonus prizes for university teams. 25 of the world’s top-ranked teams from different countries were part of the attack-defense format final – with 16 competing for on-site and another 9 virtually – as each sought to detect vulnerabilities and play the role of both threat defenders and attackers. The PRO CTF challenge took place over 30 hours, engaging the audience with live ranking scoring updates on big screen scoreboards across the venue. Bushwhackers, hailing from Russia, once again emerged as this year’s champions to continue their fine record in the competition, followed by C4T BuT S4D and RedRocket from Russia and Germany, respectively.

Cyber Security

More Than 8,000 Attendees and 200 Expert Speakers Join First Day of @HACK in Riyadh

Published

19 hours ago

November 29, 2021

Edward Frank

@HACK, the largest dedicated cybersecurity event in the region opened today in Riyadh, with in excess of 8,000 guests already attending the first day. Over the next three days, upwards of 14,000 thousand attendees from 70 countries are expected at the summit, which features over 200 expert speakers sharing their knowledge to grow the cybersecurity expertise of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The conference was officially inaugurated by Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman, SAFCSP, in the presence of His Excellency Engineer Abdullah bin Amer Al-Swaha, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Communications and Information Technology.

The conference includes the largest ever Capture the Flag ethical hacking contest in the region, with over 1,000 participants from around the world competing for a prize pool of SAR 1 million. It also features the most extensive advanced technical training program in the world outside of the annual Black Hat conference in Las Vegas.

@Hack is organized by the Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones (SAFCSP) and leading events specialist Informa Tech, in association with the renowned cybersecurity event organizer Black Hat, and in partnership with the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. The conference is three times larger than any previous cybersecurity summit in the region and is the largest cybersecurity event in the world in 2021. @HACK is on until 30^th November at Riyadh Front Expo Centre.

Events

LEAP 2022 to Kick-Off on February 1, 2022

Published

2 weeks ago

November 18, 2021

Edward Frank

In February 2022, Saudi Arabia will be hosting the largest technology event ever launched, LEAP, bringing together the global technology community under one roof to tackle the biggest socio-cultural challenges of the world. Taking place from the 1^st – 3^rd of February 2022 in Riyadh, LEAP is set to become a truly global platform for the entire innovation ecosystem, connecting pioneers and disruptors with business and government leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and more to experience and learn about the technologies of the future.

The event will welcome speakers from all around the world; including Eugene Kaspersky, CEO, and co-founder, Kaspersky; Raghu Raghuram, CEO, VMware; Maelle Gavet, CEO, Techstars; Youngcho Chi, President, and Chief Innovation Officer, Hyundai Motor Group; Peggy Johnson, CEO, Magic Leap; Nnenna Nwakanma, Chief Web Advocate, World Wide Web Foundation and Siim Sikkut, Government Chief Information Officer (GCIO), Estonia. They will be joined by experts from the region; including Eng. Olayan M. Alwetaid, Group CEO, STC; Eng. Salman Al Badran, CEO, Mobily; Ghinwa Baradhi, CIO MENAT region for HSBC and Sky Kurtz, founder, and CEO at Pure Harvest.

LEAP will also feature inspirational stories from people like Steven Bartlett, renowned entrepreneur, and BBC’s youngest ever Dragon, as well as football legends Roberto Carlos and Luis Figo. As global technology giants gear up to participate in one of the region’s most anticipated events, over 700 emerging technology start-ups prepare to showcase their solutions to the world. Organised and produced by Informa Markets, LEAP is sponsored by leading local and international companies including, Microsoft, CISCO, KPMG, SoftwareAG, Nutanix, STC, Zain, Mobily, and Ericsson, who will act together as strategic partners to bring this event to life.

Commenting on the event, His Excellency Eng. Abdullah Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: “Technology and innovation have enormous potential to transform economies and societies. We live in a time where you either leap or be left behind. We are proud to host LEAP to help the region lead and leapfrog with technology and innovation”.

“Informa are delighted to have launched LEAP in Saudi Arabia. It is clear to us that with the enormous technology projects happening in the country, there is no hub in the world better placed to host such an amazing event,” said Mike Champion, Regional Executive Vice President of Informa Markets, the largest events company in the world. “In its first year, LEAP will be the largest debut technology event in history, and there can be no better evidence than that to prove Saudi Arabia is a future global technology hub.”