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Geekulcha to host second annual SafeHack Hackathon

Kirsten Doyle
By Kirsten Doyle, ITWeb contributor.
Johannesburg, 21 Feb 2018
#SS17HACK underway at Vodacom World, Midrand 2017.
#SS17HACK underway at Vodacom World, Midrand 2017.

Geekulcha will be hosting the second annual SafeHack Hackathon on 15 and 16 April 2018.

The company will be collaborating with some of the big names in the security industry to create awareness about cyber security and the importance of solution providers adopting a "secure by design" mentality.

"The hackathon aims to create an experience for the youth that enable them to work on projects that provide real-life experience through interaction with peers and industry professionals. Over 150 participants have already registered for the event which demonstrates the hunger for security knowledge and recognition of the importance of security in the fourth industrial revolution," says Keitumetsi Tsotetsi, special projects lead at Geekulcha and Cyber Security Manager at PwC.

This year, the SafeHack will form part of the second leg of a series of events that will ultimately lead to the #SS18HACK to be facilitated by Geekulcha at the annual ITWeb Security Summit 2018, to be held from 21 to 25 May, at Vodacom World in Midrand.

ITWeb Security Summit 2018

Registration is open for the ITWeb Security Summit 2018 in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Ex-perts from around the world will be presenting, including global security expert Mikko Hypponen, who has been instrumental in uncovering and bringing down several infamous threats, and has assisted law enforcement agencies across the globe. In addition, several other top speakers will be sharing their knowledge, including Intel's Rodrigo Branco, who will unpack blinded random block corruption attacks for the audience. Get involved in #SS18HACK and choose from two half-day workshops or a full-day boot camp, plus five training courses, and much more. For the agenda, click here.

#SS18HACK due to open for registration 1 March 2018 - watch the Web site for more information.

To find out more and register for the ITWeb Security Summit 2018, go to: http://v2.itweb.co.za/event/itweb/security-summit-2018/?page=agendaday1

"The Hackathon strongly aligns with the purpose of the ITWeb Security Summit and provides a platform for the youth to build skills capacity in information/cyber security," she adds.

Tsotetsi says an introductory session will introduce safe coding principles, and explain how the software and hardware can be used against the business (developer) and its customers.

"Participants will then have an opportunity to include these ideas and explain how and why they have been chosen in final presentations. The challenge will be 42 hours long and will gather students and young professionals under one roof to solve challenges using their cyber security knowledge."

The challenges will be outsourced from the sponsors, the community, and the Geekulcha team and also from the hackers themselves. Moreover, it will provide the opportunity to showcase skills, network and interact with security professionals in the industry, she concludes.

The hackathon provides a platform for the youth to:

  • Drive awareness/consciousness of online safety in a practical way.
  • Address strategies for safer civic tech.
  • Implementation of a safe framework that can be used in different hackathons.
  • Assess a level of understanding of best practices.
  • Get the geek community to learn new skills in information security.
  • Connect students with potential employers and create a platform for recruiters to connect with job seekers.
  • To find innovative ideas, potential business ideas and to create potential partners among the attendees.
  • Create an Information Security network of young Geeks.
  • To play with new technology and APIs.
  • Create a platform for learning while experimenting and having fun.
  • Develop business and presentation skills.

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