Black Hat Concludes its Second Edition with Awards Worth SAR 1,000,000
Riyadh Front Exhibition & Conference Center witnessed a significant turnout as the second edition of the world’s fastest growing cybersecurity event "Black Hat" concluded Thursday its second edition on its final day. This event, organized by The Saudi Federation For Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) and Tahaluf, featured the active participation of experts, investors, and notable speakers.
The last day's sessions at Black hat 23 event focused on cybersecurity, discussing topics such as maintaining security and resilience in the digital society, empowering future leaders, defending against AI threats, and analyzing cyber criminal exploitation. It also discussed the benefits of AI in cybersecurity and the evolving role of cybersecurity heads. The event also highlighted the cybersecurity capabilities of Saudi Arabia, including vulnerability discovery and the Bug Bounty Universel Session platforms. Participants learned about cutting-edge technologies, best practices, and the latest trends in the field. The event provided valuable insights into the efforts being made to enhance cybersecurity in the country.
Day three sessions featured insights from distinguished cybersecurity professionals, including Michael Montoya - SVP & Chief Information Officer, Equinix; Bjorn R. Watne - Senior Vice President and Chief Security Officer, Telenor Group; Manish Tanwar - Security Consultant, MDSec Consulting; Dr. Chenxi Wang, Founder and General Partner; Camille Vasquez - Partner, Brown Rudnick, and Sam Curry, Chief Information Security Officer at Telenor Group.
A notable collaboration was announced between The Saudi Federation For Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP) represented by Khalid Alsulaim, Vice President of Business and Ahmed Al-Ibrahim, Cybersecurity & Data Governance Executive, with the aim to integrate the General Authority for Statistics with Bug Bounty to identify vulnerabilities.
Awards exceeding SAR 1,000,000 were distributed to the winners of the second edition of Black Hat competition including Capture The Flag competition, Bug Bounty Cup, and Cyberseed Start-Up Competition.
The event included the Bug Bounty JNR where Muhannad Al-Haqbani won first place in the with SAR 10,000; Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani won second place with SAR 7,000; Abdulaziz Al-Saad won for third place with SAR 3,000; Abdullah Al-Zahrani won for the Most Critical Report; Abdulhadi Al-Jaber won the Best Quality Report; and Sultan Faqihi won for the Most Reports.
The event included the distribution of awards exceeding SAR 1,000,000 where Muhannad Al-Haqbani won first place in the Bug Bounty JNR with SAR 10,000; Abdulrahman Al-Zahrani won second place with SAR 7,000; Abdulaziz Al-Saad won for third place with SAR 3,000; Abdullah Al-Zahrani won for the Most Critical Report in the Bug Bounty Cup; Abdulhadi Al-Jaber won the Best Quality Report; and Sultan Faqihi won for the Most Reports in the Bug Bounty JNR.
Meanwhile, Nawaf Majed Almutairi took first place, Abdulrahman Makki took second place, and Abdulrahman Albatel took third place, Asim Fahad Alsaya was named the Most Critical Finding, while Almostafa Elsisi was named the Best Quality Report in the BugBounty Cup Competition.
In the Capture the Flag competition different teams battled it out to where the first place was claimed by DiceGang and a SAR 300,000; The Duck in second place with SAR 200,000; C4T But S4D in the third place with SAR 100,000; Never Stop Exploiting in the fourth place with SAR 60,000; Kalmarunionen in the fifth place with SAR 40,000; Platinum won as a Top Saudi Team with SAR 40,000.
Black Hat serves as a catalyst for the development of national cybersecurity capabilities, providing a crucial resource for Saudi youth interested in the future of cybersecurity. By offering insights into advanced technologies and addressing the latest trends, the event contributes significantly to empowering a generation focused on reinforcing digital defenses against cyber risks and threats.
