Published 18 Oct 2019

This year’s European Cybersecurity Challenge (ECSC) has successfully come to an end in Bucharest, with host nation Romania taking the top position on the leader board. The event—which is organised by ENISA, the European Union Agency for Cyberscurity—is one of the many events taking place in October as part of the European Cybersecurity Month.

Approximately 200 talented young people from 20 European countries gathered for the event. In addition to being tested on their public speaking skills and teamwork through giving a presentation to a panel of five online security experts, participants needed to prove their technical skills in areas such as reverse engineering, escape room, crypto puzzles, mobile and web security, and forensics.

Head of Operational Security at ENISA, Demosthenes Ikonomou, spoke at the opening ceremony:

“We are committed to continuously improve and grow the European Cyber Security Challenge. For the last four years, volunteers from different countries have hosted the event. This year’s edition is the largest in terms of organisation and participants. We thank the Romanian hosts for their hard work that led to the final and recognise the team efforts to bring this competition alive. Moreover, the ECSC falls during the Cybersecurity Month, a month dedicated to bringing awareness on cybersecurity. Through the ECSC we are hoping that the pool of talents will be bigger as the competition matures in Europe.”

Cybersecurity expert Martina Lindorfer opened the gala dinner and awards ceremony after the event. She stressed the importance of attracting more young people in the field through suitable teaching methods. She also highlighted that privacy and security needed to be an open science rather than something limited to large tech corporations.

The United Kingdom’s team, led by captain Sophia McCall, came a respectable fifth place. The UK’s team is managed by the non-profit organisation Cyber Security Challenge UK, which is supported by various bodies in the private, public and academic sectors and seeks to develop young cybersecurity talent from diverse backgrounds. This year’s team featured individuals from around the UK, with a broad mix of experiences and skills. As part of their preparation for the challenge in Bucharest, the team spent the summer training with Immersive Labs and NCC Group.

Competitions like the ECSC are thought to be vital for attracting new talent into the cybersecurity field and connecting them with likeminded peers and industry leaders throughout Europe. Competitors also gain a taste of what it would be like to pursue a career in cybersecurity and benefit from the opportunity to demonstrate their skills.

While it is heartening to see cybersecurity getting the increasing attention it deserves, it will be some time yet before we see the UK’s skills gap filled by a fresh generation of cybersecurity talent. If you’re having difficulty recruiting suitable staff, you may want to consider outsourcing some of your IT infrastructure. At Pro-Networks, we can provide a range of IT support and services. We can, for example, help you to understand the various threats and recommend the best combination of technologies to protect against the risks your organisation faces.

 

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