Dubai Electronic Security Centre To Host School Of Cyber Defense Competition At GISEC 2025 For University Students

The Dubai Electronic Security Centre (DESC) is set to host the School of Cyber Defense competition for university students. This event is part of the Gulf Information Security Exhibition and Conference (GISEC 2025), scheduled at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 6-8 May. Organised by TechFirm with DESC's support, the competition aims to enhance students' cybersecurity skills and knowledge.

Participants will engage in a simulated real-world cybersecurity environment during the final round on 8 May. The top 50 students from the qualifiers will tackle advanced challenges similar to those faced by industry professionals. The competition seeks to equip students with practical skills in network security, operating systems, and incident response.

The competition reflects DESC's commitment to promoting cybersecurity awareness among young people. By empowering future generations, DESC aims to ensure they are prepared to protect Dubai's and the UAE's digital infrastructure against evolving cyber threats. University students from IT and cybersecurity-related disciplines at Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD levels can participate.

An online training session is scheduled for 21 April to prepare participants for the event. From an initial pool of 200 participants, only the top 50 will advance to the final round. This stage follows a Blue Team model where competitors identify security vulnerabilities and mitigate cyberattacks in complex scenarios.

Students interested in participating must register by 16 April via [https://gisec.ae/student-ctf-school-of-cyber-defense]. Due to limited seats, early registration is encouraged. Finalists will be selected based on their performance in qualifiers conducted under the Capture The Flag (CTF) system.

The top three winners will receive financial prizes totalling over AED 50,000. This provides participants with recognition and opportunities to advance their careers in cybersecurity. The competition simulates real-world cyberattacks using the Cyberworld platform, where teams act as Blue Team defenders analysing Indicators of Compromise (IoCs).

DESC encourages all eligible university students in the UAE to seize this opportunity to enhance their skills and contribute to safeguarding digital infrastructures.

With inputs from WAM