To address the IT security talent shortage, Kaspersky Lab has teamed up with partners such as Dassault Systems, PWC and Schlumberger to create a talent discovery program, the Cybersecurity for the Next Generation.
The program targets students and young specialists, with and without a security background, and the winner will take home a $10,000 grant.
Cybersecurity for the Next Generation invites participants to tackle real tasks, provided by all involved partners, and if successful, solutions may be implemented in business. PWC, for example, is looking for a solution to automatically aggregate and analyze security-related news on social media. Schlumberger is looking for a concept to secure data storage in the Schlumberger private cloud. Some of the scenarios are not very technical; for example, Kaspersky Lab is looking for two gamified approaches to explaining and teaching security in healthcare, banks and retail.
Contestants can participate in groups of up to three and hand in their applications before October 25 at https://securitynextgen.com. An expert jury will then choose finalists to be invited to the contest finals, which will be held in Prague on December 5 and 6.
The winner of the contest will receive a grant of $10,000, the second place will have the opportunity to attend the Kaspersky Security Analyst Summit and the third place winner will be sent to a professional conference on information security. In addition, there are special prizes from the contest’s partners, including internships, gadgets and other useful gifts.
The full list of tasks and partners is as follows:
1. Secure browser / Rosatom + Greenatom
Develop a secure browser based on VM technologies
2. Customer data protection in public clouds/Schlumberger
Offer a solution for secure data storage in the Schlumberger cloud
3. Login authorization control / Schlumberger
Develop a system of logging, event monitoring and user verification
4. System for detection of external online communication channels/Gazprom Neft
Develop an algorithm, software module and the architecture for an information system capable of searching for unauthorized online communications on corporate hosts connected to a corporate data network
5. Intrusion detection based on data mining/Kaspersky Lab
Compile a list of indicators of network traffic anomalies, and develop an algorithm of intelligent data analysis, develop architecture and a proof-of-concept of an intrusion detection system
6. Information security feed system/PwC
Develop software capable of online aggregation and analysis of different topics regarding information security from social media
7. Prevention of industrial espionage/Dassault Systems
Develop a solution to protect jewelry businesses from the loss of confidential information through technical channels
8. Kaspersky interactive protection simulation – Healthcare scenario / Kaspersky Lab
Develop a game board and describe a scenario from the field of healthcare for Kaspersky Lab’s interactive protection simulation
9. Kaspersky cyber safety management game – Healthcare | Bank | Retail scenario / Kaspersky Lab
Develop a scenario for Kaspersky Lab’s cyber safety management game with real examples of IT security incidents.
