The First-Ever School of Cyber Defense (CTF) Competition Successfully Concluded at GISEC GLOBAL 2025

Dubai, UAE, 11th May 2025, ZEX PR WIRE, The highly anticipated School of Cyber Defense (CTF) competition, held as part of GISEC GLOBAL 2025, concluded with exceptional participation and fierce competition. On May 8, the Dubai World Trade Centre hosted the largest cybersecurity event in the Middle East, attracting participants across the UAE.

The Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), organized by TechFirm, launched this groundbreaking competition for the first time ever, drawing significant attention from the top universities in the UAE. Over 300 applications were submitted, with 130 participants selected to compete in the qualification rounds on May 6–8.

After the intense challenges, the top 50 scorers advanced to the final stage on May 8, where they formed 10 Incident Response Teams. These teams tackled high-pressure cybersecurity scenarios in real time, demonstrating not only their technical mastery but also their ability to collaborate, analyze rapidly, and adapt under pressure. The competition simulated real-world challenges such as network defense, threat management, system security, and incident response, with participants’ actions evaluated through an advanced scoring platform.

The Winners of the School of Cyber Defense (CTF) Competition:

• 1st Place: ScriptKiddies (Al Ain University)
• 2nd Place: Rage Quitters (University of Dubai)
• 3rd Place: Hungry Sharks (Abu Dhabi University)

The event, with a prize pool valued at over AED 130,000, has further solidified the importance of nurturing the next generation of cybersecurity experts. The competition’s success was driven by the support of leading industry partners, including Spire Solutions, Huawei, HPE Networking, HONOR, Circularo, Great List and RAS Infotech, all of whom are committed to empowering young talents and advancing cybersecurity expertise. All competition infrastructure was powered by servers based on AMD EPYC™ processors, providing participants with industry-leading performance and advanced security features.

This competition is a key milestone in building a resilient digital future and highlights the increasing role of cybersecurity in shaping tomorrow’s technology landscape.

For more information, please contact:
+971522707567
gctf2025@techfirm.ae
https://techfirm.ae/ctf/