Black Hat MEA Crowns Ethical Hacking Champions

Riyadh Front Exhibition and Convention Centre played host to the culmination of Black Hat MEA 2023, leaving an indelible mark on the global cybersecurity stage. The event spotlighted emerging cyber talents as it declared the victors of the highly sought-after Capture the Flag and Cyberseed Startup competitions during its successful three-day run.

Black Hat MEA, among the world’s fastest-growing cybersecurity gatherings, drew 40,000 industry professionals this year. The competition featured the next wave of cybersecurity experts vying for a slice of the expansive $187,000 prize pool spread across the challenging Capture the Flag and Cyberseed Startup contests.

Over three days, over 1,000 top ethical hackers from the region engaged in the jeopardy-style Capture The Flag competition, organized by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming & Drones (SAFCSP). The competition assessed ethical hacking prowess across diverse categories such as Web, PWN, Forensics, Reverse Engineering, and Cryptocurrency. After an intense battle, Team DiceGang emerged triumphant, clinching the title and a cash prize of $80,000 (SAR300,000). The Duck secured second place, earning $53,000 (SAR200,000), while team C4t But s4d claimed third place with a prize of $27,000 (SAR100,000).

Running concurrently, the Cyberseed Startup competition comprised three categories: Innovative Ideator for pre-revenue startups with groundbreaking ideas, Established Excellence for larger, experienced startups, and the Saudi Superstar award for a startup contributing to building the profile of cybersecurity talent in the Kingdom. The winners, each receiving a $10,000 (SAR37,000) cheque, were FourCore for ‘The Innovative Ideator,’ AlShield, Powered by Bosch, for ‘The Established Excellence’ award, and dPhish for ‘The Saudi Superstar’ award.

Expressing gratitude, Karem Ali Faisal, CEO of dPhish, stated, “Winning the Saudi Superstar award was beyond our expectations – it is an amazing feeling. Black Hat MEA has provided our business with excellent opportunities, and winning this award will motivate us to continue our efforts.”

The organizers, Tahaluf, a joint venture between Informa LLC and the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming & Drones, extended their commitment to nurturing the Kingdom’s future cybersecurity leaders through the inaugural Black Hat Campus. This content-focused environment brought together vendors, universities, recruiters, and consultancies, providing a unique platform for startups to connect with potential investors. The Campus concluded on the final day of Black Hat MEA 2023.

Participating startups, including ThreatCop and AIShield, found the Black Hat Campus to be a valuable networking opportunity. Pavan Kushwaha, CEO of ThreatCop, remarked, “At ThreatCop, we’re architects of a secure future and can reduce cyber risks by up to 90 per cent across some of our products, which has attracted a lot of interest.”

Shiv Kumar, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at AIShield, described the experience as a game-changer, stating, “Participating in Black Hat MEA Campus as an AI Security provider was a game-changer for us. We have a unique and targeted platform to showcase our products and engage with industry experts.”

Annabelle Mander, Senior Vice President at Tahaluf, expressed satisfaction with the success of the Black Hat Campus initiative. She stated, “The launch of Black Hat Campus this year was a strategic move in line with our commitment to equip the next generation of cyber professionals with advanced skills to really make a difference and shape the industry’s future.”