Israel will be the fifth country to host the final rounds of the world’s biggest student-run cybersecurity competition, Cyber Security Awareness Week (CSAW), on November 16 and 17 at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Beersheva.

CSAW was founded 14 years ago by the New York University Tandon School of Engineering and last year its final round was expanded beyond its original Brooklyn (N.Y.) location to the Middle East, North Africa, and India.

This year’s CSAW signature hacking competition, Capture the Flag, will be held in Brooklyn, Abu Dhabi, France, India, and Israel. This cornerstone challenge attracts upwards of 10,000 remote players each year.

Students from high school through graduate school may register on September 5 and 6 for the preliminary rounds of CSAW Israel, organized by BGU’s Department of Software and Information Systems Engineering and the IBM Cyber Security Center of Excellence, which is based at the university.

The preliminary competitions will challenge contestants’ knowledge of virtually every aspect of information security, from hardware and software testing and protection to digital forensics and government policy.

At the regional CSAW campuses, students will network with top professionals who serve as judges, hear experts address emerging issues, meet recruiters eager to fill what is expected to be a shortfall of 1.5 million cyber security professionals by 2020, and face tough competition from teams from other schools. Winners of the final rounds can walk away with cash prizes, scholarships, and more.

(via Israel21c)

[Photo: Israel21c]