Last week, Kaspersky concluded its global Secur’IT Cup, where over 850 students from almost 30 countries submitted innovative cybersecurity solutions. Teams from Kenya, Mauritius, Saudi Arabia, and Russia were awarded, with the “Falcon Digital” team from Saudi Arabia acknowledged for their “AI-PhishGuard” project in the People’s Choice category—a machine learning-based suite for phishing detection and alerts.
This year, participants were invited to submit projects in four categories: Gaming & Geeks, Fintech, Tracking & Security of people and things, and Family Care. In the finals, a global jury assessed the ideas of 10 participants from Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Singapore. These finalists, emerging from both global and regional streams, presented their projects online, facing questions from the Kaspersky cybersecurity expert jury, which included members from the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT), Chulalongkorn University, the Singapore Institute of Technology, CyberTalents non-profit organization, and the Secur’IT Cup ’22 co-winner.
The projects were assessed based on eight criteria: accordance with the track, unique selling proposition, technical feasibility, business model, prototype, security level of the technology, patentability, scalability and readiness for deployment, and the quality of the pitch. Participants could also score additional points for minimum viable product (MVP) /speed of MVP preparation. Based on the above criteria, “PeTTly” by the “Net.Resources” team was selected as the best project, winning the grand prize of $10,000. “PeTTly” is a comprehensive pet care solution that integrates all areas of maintenance for pets into a single system. It allows IoT devices to track and manage a treasured animal’s vital signs.
The “SKOOF_life” team from Russia introduced “Trust-factor transaction authentication” – a service that banks could offer to clients to protect them from poor financial decisions, unauthorized usage of their money and social engineering. The service reacts if the number of transaction frequency and cash withdrawn is higher than in the established security rules of the bank. Getting the third place, the team also received access to any course from the Kaspersky Expert Training portfolio.
“At Kaspersky, we believe that investment in young talent promises further technological advancement, innovation and greater social sustainability. In addressing specific cybersecurity issues, these young talents have not only showcased their intellectual prowess but also demonstrated a commitment to shaping a more secure digital future. This event stands as a testament to the incredible potential within the next generation. We look forward to witnessing their continued impact on the world of digital security,” says Evgeniya Russkikh, Academic Affairs Head, Kaspersky.
“I am thrilled that Secur`IT Cup allowed me to bring my idea to life. A special thank you to the competition mentors for guiding my project in the right direction. I hope this event continues to grow and provide students with the opportunity to turn their business ideas into reality,” commented Maxim Boiko, member of the “Net.Resources” team.
The “Health Code Medical Archive” by students from Kenya and Mauritius took second place, winning $3,000 and access to one of the Kaspersky Expert Trainings. The team presented a health record system designed to ease the burden on healthcare services and empower caregivers in their region, where this issue is not solved yet by any technological solution.
Kaspersky Secur’IT Cup student competition 2023 winners announced
