The Second Brunei Cybersecurity Conference (CySec) 2024 kicked off yesterday, bringing together local and international experts at The Empire Brunei to discuss digital threats and showcase innovative cybersecurity solutions. Co-organised by the Brunei Cyber Security Association (BCSA) and Cyber Security Brunei (CSB), the two-day event centres on cyber vigilance and data sovereignty, featuring keynote speeches, workshops, exhibitions and a hacking competition.
Minister of Transport and Infocommunications Pengiran Dato Seri Setia Shamhary bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Haji Mustapha officiating the event, highlighted the importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding Brunei’s digital economy and national security. He emphasised the need for regional collaboration to address increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.
A key feature of the conference was the signing of strategic partnerships by IT Protective Security Services Sdn Bhd (ITPSS), Brunei’s leading cybersecurity firm, with major regional players.
Several memorandum of understanding (MoUs) were signed to strengthen Brunei’s cybersecurity framework and foster ASEAN-wide cooperation.
The signing of these MoUs marks a significant milestone in fortifying Brunei’s defences against cyber threats and boosting its regional standing in the cybersecurity sector.
The event also featured the Cyber Battle: Capture The Flag (CTF) competition, which saw Brunei’s top hackers tackle real-world IT scenarios. Organised by ITPSS, the competition featured 35 teams of students and IT professionals in an intense eight-hour challenge.
Team 3Fishies won first in the competition followed by Last Place and A2F1 in second and third. Deputy Minister (Security and Law) at the Prime Minister’s Office Dato Seri Paduka Haji Sufian bin Haji Sabtu presented the awards, commending the participants’ impressive skills. In a corporate social responsibility initiative, Trend Micro donated 10,000 antivirus license keys to students and 5,000 to small and medium enterprises (SMEs), valued at USD300,000. Permanent Secretary (Higher Education) at the Ministry of Education Dr Haji Azman bin Ahmad accepted the keys on behalf of students, while BCSA President Mohamad Azad Zaki bin Haji Mohd Tahir received them for SMEs.
BCSA also celebrated Brunei’s winners of the Top Women in Security ASEAN Region Awards with a lecturer at Universiti Brunei Darussalam Dr Rosyzie Anna binti Haji Mohd Apong receiving the 2024 Security Trainer and Educator Award and the Country Award for Brunei, while Jasmine Wong was honoured with the 2023 Country Award for Brunei.
CySec 2024 serves as a crucial platform to raising awareness on cybersecurity and promoting the adoption of effective security measures across Brunei’s digital landscape. – Fadley Faisal
