The Communications Authority of Kenya (CA) Huawei and the Kenya Cybersecurity Forensics Association have this morning launched a cybersecurity hackathon and Bootcamp.
The two series of events launched in Nairobi will also be held in various towns across the country including Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri, and Eldoret.
Over 6,000 students have signed up for online training and the top 100 from each of the five regions will attend the regional finals that will be held in conjunction with university partners in Nairobi, Nyeri, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Mombasa.
As many businesses and institutions become digitized, the scope to which online platforms and technologies are being used continues to increase and consequently do cyber threats. To help businesses and learning institutions have the skills and knowledge to ensure network and information security, it is important to grow the quality and quantity of current and future workers skilled in cyber security.
The boot camp, which is an intense training activity over a short period, covers the Huawei Certification e-learning Course on Cyber Security, virtual lab exercises, and mentorship from experts within the field. These jointly structured sessions and courses are geared at preparing participants for a successful career in cybersecurity. The program builds on last year’s program that led to many of the students getting jobs in different sectors.
The Cybersecurity sector has grown extensively over the years, however, there aren’t enough skilled personnel to match these numbers. This is at the forefront of most businesses in the world today. The safety of the technology users, and the target audience and markets of various businesses and institutions, not forgetting the institutions themselves, is very important. Hence there is a need to work towards ensuring that persons with talent and interest in this field are provided with platforms that seek to upskill them.
Aligned to this mandate, CA as the ICT sector regulator is continuously investing in initiatives that will translate into strategies to enhance our national cybersecurity. This is aimed at building an all-around and strong foundation that will anchor the delivery of the government’s digital transformation agenda.
“Statistics show that in 2018, cyber-attacks directed at Kenya stood at 7.7 million. In 2023, the attacks have sky-rocked to reach a high of 444 million, ranking Kenya among the top three most targeted countries in the region, alongside South Africa and Nigeria,” added Mr. Chiloba.
For businesses and learning institutions to have the skills and knowledge to ensure network and information security, it is important to grow the quality and quantity of current and future workers skilled in cyber security. The initiative is one of the activities under the Technical Cooperation Agreement the partners signed in 2022.
CA, through the National KE-CIRT, is well aware of the rapid and vibrant nature of the ICT industry and endeavors to be alert of any attempted attacks and infiltrations targeted at systems in Kenya. CA calls upon all stakeholders to be vigilant as it continues to provide relevant alerts and advisories on the state of our cybersecurity space.
The safety of the technology users, and the target audience and markets of various businesses and institutions, not forgetting the institutions themselves, is very important. Hence there is a need to work towards ensuring that persons with talent and interest in this field are provided with platforms that seek to upskill them.
This year’s program is a major expansion from last year’s activity thanks to the expansion to the regions. Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu, and Nyeri demonstrate the power of collaboration bringing together the national regulator, a leading international technology company, and a non-profit membership association.
The top hackathon teams and Bootcamp teams from each regional final will then travel to Mombasa for the National Final which will take place as part of the October Cyber Security Awareness Month to attend the National OCSAM cyber security conference.
