2024
8 OctLaunch of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s Inaugural Hackathon
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From left: Asst Prof Ts Dr Raenu, director of the Institute of Computer Science and Digital Innovation, Wan Roshaimi Wan Abdullah, chief technology officer of CyberSecurity Malaysia, Dr Tatchapol Poshyanonda, country director of Palo Alto Networks (Asean), Dato Peter Ng, founder and executive chairman of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» Group, Prof Emerita Datuk Ts Ir Dr Siti Hamisah Binti Tapsir, vice-chancellor and president of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University, Azuin Baharudin, executive chairman of AceTeam Networks and Siti Riniy Fariza Mohd Borham, principal assistant director of National Cyber Security Agency, Prime Minister Office.
From top left: : Asst Prof Ts Dr Raenu, director of the Institute of Computer Science and Digital Innovation, Serena Lee, country manager (Malaysia) of Palo Alto Networks, Prof Datuk Rohana Binti Yusof, deputy vice-chancellor, Academic and Internationalisation (Kuala Lumpur campus), Prof Phang Siew Moi, deputy vice-chancellor, Research and Postgraduate, Azuin Baharudin, executive chairman of AceTeam Networks and Siti Riniy Fariza Mohd Borham.
From bottom left: Sim Hong Bing, Joyanne Poong Qi Yue, Yuen Tze Svenn and Sean Lim Jhun Yu.
KUALA LUMPUR: Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University hosted its first-ever hackathon, drawing more than 400 students from high schools, colleges and universities nationwide.
The highly anticipated event marked the official launch of Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s Hackathon, a year-long initiative designed to challenge participants to breach a secure cloud platform and capture as many flags as possible within a limited time.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s vice-chancellor and president, Prof Emerita Datuk Ts Ir Siti Hamisah Tapsir, highlighted the timeliness of this competition amidst the growing threat of cyberattacks both locally and globally.
¡°In Malaysia alone, Cyber999 recorded over 3,000 cyber incidents in 2024. Many of these attacks targeted critical sectors like the airline industry and telecommunications.
¡°Yet, it¡¯s heartening to see Malaysia making progress, with the recent passing of the Cybersecurity Act 2024, creating 12,000 jobs to meet the goal of 25,000 cyber defenders.
¡°By participating in this hackathon, students are testing their skills in coding, cybersecurity and critical thinking¡ªpreparing themselves to rise up and become the cybersecurity experts of tomorrow.¡±
This hackathon represents the latest milestone for Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»¡¯s Institute of Computer Science and Digital Innovation, held in collaboration with Palo Alto Networks and AceTeam Networks.?
More than 100 teams competed, with team Iconitive emerging as the overall winner, securing the RM5,000 grand prize.
Team Iconitive¡ªconsisting of Sim Hong Bing, Yuen Tze Svenn, Sean Lim Jhun Yu and Joyanne Poong Qi Yue¡ªwere surprised by their victory, especially since three of them were first-time participants.
¡°I joined to gain experience and learn more about ethical hacking. I never thought we¡¯d end up as champions,¡± said Tze Svenn.
The team encouraged students to join similar competitions, regardless of experience. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid to jump in¡ªeven if it¡¯s your first time, the lessons are invaluable. You learn to trust your teammates, stay calm and think quickly under pressure,¡± said?Qi Yue.
They also commended universities that host hackathon challenges, which provide unique opportunities to solve industry-relevant challenges.
Team leader Sim Hong Bing added, ¡°There are many government initiatives to strengthen cybersecurity, and while we¡¯re on the right track, we still have a long way to go.¡±
Ranked in the world¡¯s top 1% in the QS World University Rankings 2025 by virtue of its top 265 ranking, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³» University stands out as one of Asia¡¯s top private universities.?
