ISLAMABAD - Ignite - National Technology Fund’s Cybersecurity Hackathon team, AirOverflow, has clinched the 1st position in the OIC Zone’s prestigious COMSEC CTF Challenge.
During the intense 12-hour competition, Pakistan’s AirOverflow exhibited exceptional skills and teamwork which earned them the top spot in the intense challenge, followed by Azerbaijan, Mali, Turkmenistan, and Jordan among the top five.
Eighteen OICZ countries including Gambia, Libya, Lebanon, Kuwait, Jordan, Guyana, Côte d’Ivoire, Chad, Azerbaijan, Albania, Yemen, Turkmenistan, Sierra Leone, Qatar, Palestine, Pakistan, Mali, and Cameroon took part in the contest.
The winning prize will be awarded at the final ceremony in Turkey, followed by a 2-day advanced training session for the participants.
“It is a moment of pride for us, and for Pakistan; we feel that Ignite’s efforts in the field of cybersecurity are yielding positive results,” said an official.
Adeel Aijaz Shaikh, CEO Ignite, said in a statement, “We have always believed in fostering a culture of excellence, empowering our youth to excel on the global stage.
This victory reaffirms our commitment to driving technological advancement and innovation within Pakistan. We will continue to support and invest in the development of future leaders in cybersecurity to ensure a cyber secure Pakistan.”
Led by Ministry of IT & Telecom, Ignite has so far held three Digital Pakistan Cybersecurity Hackathons. The fourth version of the Cybersecurity Hackathon - 2024, is already underway with all-new free-entry awareness sessions for general public on cybersecurity and hands-on training workshops in sixteen cities of the country. These will be followed by Regional Hackathon Competitions in 6 cities and a Grand Finale in Islamabad.
This year’s Cybersecurity Hackathon expands on the previous version in terms of greater outreach and expanded scope, stretching across all parts of the country.
The awareness sessions, being conducted by cybersecurity experts from Ignite and other national level stakeholders, are drawing great interest from virtually all segments of the society.
