Dubai Police Launch Dh223,000 Cybersecurity Contest To Attract Ethical Hackers

Dubai Police have announced a major cybersecurity initiative for October, featuring a“Capture the Flag” (CTF) competition with a total prize pool of Dh223,000. The competition, aimed at discovering and attracting talent in ethical hacking, is a cornerstone of a broader campaign to mark global Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

The Electronic Crimes Department detailed the CTF competition structure, which will be divided into three categories targeting different skill levels. School students will compete for Dh40,000 in prizes distributed among the top three winners, while university students will vie for Dh78,000, and professionals will compete for the largest share of Dh95,000 across the top three positions.

“The goal is to identify talented individuals in penetration testing who could potentially contribute to security agencies in the future,” said officials from the Electronic Crimes Department.

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Registration opens on October 1, with online qualifiers running from October 5 until the end of the month. The final round will be an in-person event held at the Officers' Club on October 25 and 26.

Awareness campaign

Beyond the competition, Dubai Police will host a series of events throughout October to raise cybersecurity awareness among both external and internal audiences.

These initiatives include dialogue sessions targeting individuals and companies, and a specialised forum where businesses can showcase their cybersecurity products and innovative solutions.

The campaign will target a broad segment of society, including school and university students, companies, and cybersecurity specialists, with tailored events designed for each demographic.

New digital platform launched

As part of the awareness campaign, Dubai Police have launched ecrimehub, a comprehensive website dedicated to educating the public about electronic crimes.

The platform provides essential information about cybercrime fundamentals and offers guidance for victims of electronic fraud.

A standout feature of the site is its AI-powered assistant that exclusively responds to cybersecurity-related queries.

The platform also includes an innovative image analysis capability that can detect potential fraud in uploaded images.

The ecrimehub will host interactive weekly quizzes every Sunday and Monday throughout October.

Members of the public who answer all three questions correctly will be entered into a prize draw, with winners announced on October 30.

Protection Centre

While the Dubai Police Protection Centre typically addresses issues such as drug awareness, negative peer influence, smoking, bullying, electronic crimes, traffic safety, and health awareness for students in schools and universities, this month will see a dedicated focus on cybersecurity education.

The initiative reflects Dubai Police's ongoing commitment to staying ahead of evolving cyber threats and building local capacity in cybersecurity defense.

When reports of fraud or suspicious activities are received through the platform, Dubai police noted that they take immediate action to investigate and potentially shut down fraudulent phone numbers or email addresses responsible for scams.

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