Dan Summers beat off stiff competition in a series of contests that tested his ability to tackle online security threats.
Thinking outside the box
The Cyber Security Challenge, which was launched last year and will run annually, aims to find new talent in the field of internet and network security to combat cyber crime.
Speaking to I4S about the importance of the competition, director and organiser Judy Baker said: “This is a fast moving area and we have to work to deal with the impact of cyber crime. We need people who think outside the box and can stay one step ahead.”
Open to all, with one runner-up that was 17, the competition is made up of a series of challenges, or heats, which this year culminated in 25 people being pitted against one another to nab the top prize at the At-Bristol Science Centre on 5 January, which was attended by the security minister, the Rt Hon Baroness Pauline Neville Jones.
Finalists had to work in teams, posing as a cyber security team brought in to improve security inside a representation of a modern company, complete with a corporate technology network to secure and board-level employees to placate.
Battling increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks
Working as part of a team, Summers had to develop security policies and advise decision makers on training requirements, while protecting the company’s network from constant and increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks. He was also charged with managing the various needs of the company employees involved in making critical business decisions.
As the overall winner Summers was awarded several prizes including a SANS Institute course, an Open University course; opportunities to take exams with CREST; and membership of the Institute of Information Security Professionals and the British Computer Society.
Prizes for the competition were not set until the winner was selected so that awards could be tailored specifically to the individual, organisers said.
“Superb first year”
“We made sure the Masterclass was the most realistic and challenging test these competitors have faced so far – so it was great to see so many do so well,” said Bryan Lille, head of cyber security customer solutions centre at Cassidian, one of the companies sponsoring the challenge.
A total of GB pound 180,000 in funding from Government has been secured for the venture, following a “superb” first year.
Baroness Jones said: “The Cyber Security Challenge is a superb example of the genuine partnership between government, academia and the private sector that needs to be built if we are going to achieve the larger and more highly-skilled cyber workforce we need.
“My own particular challenge to the current sponsors and potential new sponsors in this room is to collectively find the remaining funds required in order that we can all reap the benefits of inspiring another crop of talented individuals to be sat here with us this time next year.”
Intense and rewarding
It will also be supported by a number of private companies including the OCSIA, HP Labs and PwC, the latter of which helped fund the latest challenge.
“This was the most intense and rewarding experience of my life,” said Summers, after receiving his award.
“I’m just so glad I did this. Having met the people in the industry and seeing how capable and welcoming they are, I’d love to work alongside them so I’ll be looking closely at all the opportunities that have developed as a result of my involvement with the challenge.”
The Government haspledged to invest GB pound 65 million in cyber security and online resilience.
