ThriveDX and the Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) successfully organised the A.YCEP bootcamp and the inaugural Capture The Flag (CTF) competition from 13th December to 15th December, 2021 in Singapore with a mission to introduce youths to career opportunities in cybersecurity. The bootcamp was attended by 180 high school students with an aim to get these younger students interested in cybersecurity as a profession. 18-year-old Mr. James Chin emerged the champion in this inaugural cybersecurity competition on 15th December 2021, competing against various students who attended the Advanced Youth Cyber Exploration Programme (A.YCEP).
Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information Dr. Janil Puthucheary at the Advanced Youth Cyber Exploration Programme Capture The Flag Competition 2021
ThriveDX believes that a key pillar for any country’s cybersecurity strategy is the development of a vibrant cybersecurity ecosystem comprising a skilled workforce, so that it can support the cybersecurity needs and be a source of new economic growth. To develop the future cybersecurity talent pipeline, ThriveDX is moving upstream to engage youths at the pre-tertiary level and university level, through its programmes – bootcamps and labs.
The event started with a welcome speech and a thought-provoking presentation from Roy Zur, CEO, ThriveDXSaaS to motivate young talents. He said, “Today cybersecurity isnt just about keeping our company safe or the industry safe, it includes keeping our government safe and achieving political stability.” He added, “Cybersecurity is not a technological challenge, its a human challenge. 95% of all cyber-attacks are due to human error. One of the biggest challenges we face today is the talent shortage in cybersecurity. The estimation is that there is a shortage of 4 million cybersecurity professionals in the world. Our aim is to solve this talent shortage.”
Towards the end, Dr. Janil Puthucheary, Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Health, Government of Singapore, presented the awards to the CTF competitors. He congratulated all the winners and motivated others to qualify for this competition. He addressed the participants saying, “I encourage students to learn cybersecurity because they will play an important role in protecting cyberspace as we move forward. They will play an important role in creating a safe digital environment for everyone with benefits that are not just economical but personal and affect the lives of people. And as a growing number of industries are digitised, cybersecurity professionals will have the privilege to practise their skills across different industries.”
With its aim to expand to other geographies, ThriveDX is eying partnership across the region and within the APAC, India stands out as having a large protentional for a booming cybersecurity industry. As a part of the growth strategy, ThriveDX aims to expand its partner network in India, in the next 2 to 3 years to cater to the growing demand of cybersecurity professionals and making it a hub for cyber professionals.
With its first partnership with IIT Jodhpur and Whizhack Technologies, the first batch of cyber professionals are set to graduate. With more partners in India in the coming years, a large number of students will have the opportunity to learn from industry experts and world-class educators and they can develop the skills needed to become world-class cybersecurity professionals. The cybersecurity curriculum of ThriveDX is aligned to the USA’s NIST/ NICE framework, and has the best industry-based interactive labs where students can learn through real-world simulations and get skilled.
About ThriveDX
As advocates of lifelong learning, ThriveDX is committed to closing the digital divide by providing people with the cyber education and digital skills they need. Through bootcamps, online curriculum resources, for-credit courses, and bespoke programs, ThriveDX provides higher education with world-class education solutions that prepare graduates for future-proof careers.
