The Geekulcha Student Society on the North-West University’s (NWU’s) Vanderbiljpark Campus recently hosted an Ideathon, a cybersecurity training and idea-generation event that brought together more than 100 industry experts and participants.
This formed part of a series of ideathons for training, idea generation and pre-selection as a build-up to the Security Summit 2024 Hackathon, which is set to take place on 4 and 5 June 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre.
The Ideathon featured various distinguished speakers, including Ivan Regasek, CEO of ITWeb, Ronny Makobela, head of The Technopreneurship Centre at the University of Johannesburg, Muzi Ntombela, chief information officer of the Centre for Public Service Innovation, and Doreen Mokoena, chief information security officer of Cybersec Clinique.
Other speakers included Thulani Mabuza, business and cybersecurity mentorship manager at Orange Cyberdefense, Steve Jump, managing director and founder of Custodiant Advisory Services, Nithen Naidoo, cofounder and CEO of Snode Technologies, James Stanger, development evangelist at CompTIA, and Tiyani Nghonyama, chief operating officer of Geekulcha.
These industry leaders provided valuable insights into the latest trends and tools for artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in a hackathon setting, as well as best practices and the threat landscape. They also discussed the rate of digital adoption in relation to cyber resilience and shared their experiences with past hackathon participants.
The event provided lots of useful information for cybersecurity enthusiasts looking to improve their skills and stay ahead of emerging threats. Participants also had the opportunity to actively engage with one another by working in teams to generate ideas to solve challenges in Capture the Flag tasks – preparing them for the upcoming Security Summit 2024 Hackathon. Attendees also had the chance to present their ideas to their mentors and receive guidance from then.
Siphokazi Malesa, marketing and public relations officer of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and the Geekulcha Student Society, says the event provided a unique platform for individuals to learn, collaborate and showcase their skills.
“The cybersecurity industry is constantly evolving, with new threats emerging every day. As such, it is crucial for professionals and enthusiasts to come together and share their expertise and knowledge to stay ahead of the game. The Ideathon provided the perfect platform for such collaboration and offered a unique opportunity for us to network, learn from one another, and stay up-to-date with the latest trends and technologies.”
Prof Linda du Plessis, deputy vice-chancellor for planning and Vanderbijlpark Campus operations, says these kind of events exposes students to industry experts and opportunities. “Events such as the Ideathon provide an excellent platform for students to showcase their creativity and innovative ideas. By bringing together industry experts and students, they get to learn from the experts and to understand the industry better. It also helps students to develop their skills, gain confidence, and network with their peers and potential employers.”
More about the Security Summit 2024 Hackathon
The Security Summit 2024 Hackathon will take place on 4 and 5 June 2024 at the Sandton Convention Centre, running concurrently with the ITWeb Security Summit 2024. This year’s hackathon is themed “Generation Hacker: GenZ vs GenAI”, and will be attended by software and hardware developers, cybersecurity young professionals, network analysts, students and many more.
The hackathon serves as a vital catalyst for skills enhancement, empowering students, techpreneurs, and cyber security enthusiasts to stay ahead of the curve. Young local talents will converge to craft solutions embodying proactive security measures for the digital age. Mentored by seasoned professionals, participants will delve into the world of cyber security, honing their skills and contributing to the defence against cyber threats.
