• AfricaHackon founder Dr Bright Mawudor said a survey found that 59% of businesses would find it difficult to respond to a cybersecurity incident due to skills shortage.
• Dr Bright AfricaHackon promised to have more Masterclass sessions in the near future as they seek to build the next generation of tech talent.
Image: STARTINEV
Kenyan youth and other individuals have been granted an opportunity to acquire cyber tech skills and bridge the existing gap in the cybersecurity workforce in Africa.
AfricaHackon, a Cyber Security dedicated to fostering excellence through research and capacity building in Africa, held a two-day Masterclass where youth were taught the latest advancements in cloud security, digital forensics investigation and docker security.
The Masterclass was held at Nairobi’s United States International University.
"Studies have shown that 3.4 million people are needed to fill the global cybersecurity workforce gap. A survey by the World Economic Forum found that 59 per cent of businesses would find it difficult to respond to a cybersecurity incident due to the shortage of skills," AfricaHackon founder Dr Bright G. Mawudor said.
The Masterclass which was held on March 3-4 saw the most brilliant minds in tech talent share knowledge through various cybersecurity topics.
Each day had three six-hour sessions that ran concurrently as the more than 250 delegates were taken through hands-on training.
Topics covered included CloudSecurity Engineering, Digital Forensics and investigation, Breaking and securing Docker containers, Introduction and advancing BugBounty hunting, Ransomware Development and prevention and Deep Dive into Threat Intelligence for corporate networks.
Dr Bright encouraged delegates who attended the learning sessions to share knowledge acquired with their colleagues who failed to attend.
“By extending the knowledge and skills picked up from the Masterclass, we get to create a ripple effect thus closing the cyber security skills gap in Africa,” Dr Bright said.
AfricaHackon, which has been operating in Kenya for the past ten years, believes that by fostering research, capacity building and the development of a strong community of experts, they can help improve the overall security of the continent.
He noted that cyber criminals were increasing in Africa hence the need to empower more people to deal with the problem.
"We don't have to always rely on foreign experts or foreign skills to deal with this problem. That is why we are nurturing our own through these very practical bootcamps and workshops," he said.
Kenya for instance is currently grappling with hacking problems with the August General Election having been marred by such allegations.
Tal Hanan, an Israeli disinformation expert allegedly hacked into an email and social media accounts of Dennis Itumbi, a President William Ruto aide, and then Deputy Presiudent's Chief of Staff Davis Chirchir.
Hanan who displayed ‘live intelligence’ to three journalists who posed as potential clients admitted to influencing the outcome of the Kenyan polls as he had done in dozens of elections across the world.
Several suspects are also facing charges after they were arrested for running a syndicate that swaps sim cards and steals money from banks and mobile money accounts.
Dr Bright AfricaHackon promised to have more Masterclass sessions in the near future as they seek to build the next generation of tech talent through mentorship and exposure to Cyber Security.
He encouraged more cybersecurity enthusiasts to join the community by registering on www.africahackon.com to receive the latest news and details about the upcoming Masterclass.
Dr. Bright said that with dedicated lab experiences, the platform ensures that every individual experiences uninterrupted, personalized and optimized learning as they seek to nurture and promote emerging cybersecurity talent in Africa.
Supporting partners for the programme include Amazon AWS, Startinev, Mozilla foundation and CTFRoom.