On 25 and 26 March 2022, IT students took on a nerve-wracking challenge during the finals of the annual Cyber Security Challenge Belgium (CSCBE). No fewer than 737 students from 32 different universities and colleges entered the preliminary rounds and the 40 best teams will continue the battle this weekend. This initiative is intended to make a career in cybersecurity attractive. After all, the sector is desperate for new talent.

 

The 'Tetramonohedrons' team, made up of IT students Hannes Klinckaert (Odisee) and Francis Klinck, Robbe Van Herck and Maxime Bloch (UGent), was able to win the wonderful first prize: a trip to the famous Def Con hacking conference in Las Vegas and a coveted SANS training course. From the winners, a delegation of young people will be selected to represent Belgium at the next European Cyber Security Challenge (ECSC), which will take place from 13 to 16 September 2022 in Vienna.

 

 

The influx of cyber security students into the business world is more important than ever. As it becomes painfully clear that cyber-attacks are even being used in interstate conflicts or as a means of retaliation, business leaders in many sectors are waking up. The realisation has grown that every sector is a potential victim, with the result that a cyber security plan has quickly become a priority for many companies. The demand for cybersecurity experts is therefore increasing in all sectors. The number of fields of study and the number of students are also increasing, but not at the same rate.

 

To outsiders, it may seem boring, but appearances can be deceptive. The students take on various challenges that test their cleverness in the field of cryptography, reverse engineering, web and mobile application security. There is a good dose of gamification in this competition, with crypto puzzles and a capture the flag challenge, which also makes it fun for the students to participate. 

 

As the national authority on cyber security, the CCB can only support such initiatives. It is a unique opportunity to give the cyber experts of tomorrow a boost.