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The National Electronic Security Authority (NESA) has officially announced details of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) first ever annual UAE Cyber Quest program. Organized in partnership with Abu Dhabi Education Council (ADEC), seventy-nine students, nine teachers and six Abu Dhabi and Al Ain based schools have been involved with the two phase educational program to date which culminates in a two day elimination competition held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Centre (ADNEC) on May 27th – 28th.
Held under the theme ‘Learn Today, Defend Tomorrow’, the 2014 edition of the program saw three Abu Dhabi based schools participate (Al Hosn School, Al Samha School and Hamdan bin Mohammed School) in addition to three schools based in Al Ain (Al Dahma School, Al Maqam School and Zayed Al Awaal School). Program organizers plan to engage with schools right across the Emirates for future editions of UAE Cyber Quest.
“UAE Cyber Quest is the first national competition of its kind in the Emirates and everyone involved from the students themselves to the program coordinators and teachers are looking forward to the final event with great promise,” said Zayed Al-Otaiba, PhD, Executive Director of Talent Development at NESA.
“Ensuring the safety of the UAE’s critical digital infrastructure is a matter of national security - so too is fostering the development of the next generation of Emiratis who will protect it. The enthusiasm shown by the students has been fantastic and the level of critical thinking on display points to the talent and technological aptitude of the nation’s youth. The knowledge gained by the students involved will aid their personal development. The program will also help them decide which opportunities to pursue in terms of higher education and certainly strengthen their future career prospects. Ultimately, it is our hope that this annual program will accelerate education development and supply a welcome boost to the UAE’s ambitious plans to implement a fully-fledged digital economy,” he added.
The 2014 competition represents the second phase of the UAE Cyber Quest program. Ten teams have been shortlisted to compete in ‘Day One’ of the competition. Only four teams will progress through to ‘Day Two’ on May 28th before one team is crowned ‘UAE Cyber Quest 2014 Winners’. Contestants will compete in a number of computer networking and information security related challenges, including exercises that require students to gain access to information by infiltrating secured networks.
“Incorporating elements of information security into the national curriculum is critical in order to aid younger generations when navigating their way through an increasingly digital world and crucially, how to do so safely,” said Dr. Najla Al Raway Al Naqbi, eLearning Manager at ADEC.
“The impact of Cyber Quest UAE transcends the students’ learning experiences. The experience will no doubt prove invaluable to all involved. Generating awareness of information security and encouraging the development of skills within the field is of paramount importance for the ICT demands of the modern world and it is for this reason we are in full support of the project,” she added.
The first phase of UAE Cyber Quest is complete and saw teachers from participating schools attend a three day workshop once a month for a period of three months. The nine teachers involved were briefed on the program and were provided all the necessary training to lead a four week education program with their students. The UAE Cyber Quest education program consists of a series of hands-on practical exercises in Information technology and network security.
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