It is impossible to foresee the future (although we can always try). Nothing global and mankind-related, highly technical, or even suggestive of the consequences of our own decisions can be foretold.
Sometimes, our actions and projects will take on an unpredictable life of their own.
An example of something taking on an unexpected life is our tabletop-server game KIPS. This is a game where team members learn to interact by creating a cyberattack defense strategy while being limited in budget and time, just like in real life. Teams compete with each other, which adds to the overall excitement and vigor. This game went from being played a handful of times to being played by nearly 10,000 people in 50 countries with championships and tournaments streamed online.
So, where am I going with all of this? I am delighted to announce the latest Regional Championship, which will be held in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, and Mongolia this time. Please welcome CyberAsia 2017 on the 27th of April, starting at 2:00 PM GMT+6.
Last December, our KIPS World Championship went well and had a large turn-out of both spectators and participants. There were over 400 teams from 40 countries, suspense, and strained nerves. The two-hour broadcast is still available and can be viewed by navigating here.
In March, we held a tournament in Russia. Next we will host an event in Central Asia!
Why would we do that?
One of the main cybersecurity problems are people, whose problem-solving expertise in the cybersecurity area is far from being acceptable. How is it possible to teach people to behave in a cybersecure way? How is it possible to let the management team of a business feel the specific character and challenges of protection against information threats? How is it possible to build up an adequate standard in a business? Millions of hours of intensive brain activity have been devoted to the quest for the grail, the philosopher’s stone, and the golden section in the area of cybersecurity training.
We came to a conclusion that the right choice for everyone is to have fun and feel engaged, which also serves as a succor in memorizing things better. We have, as the trendy saying goes, “gamified” the process; and things started moving — and they did!
Are you up to the task of preventing an ecological disaster? What will you do when the pressure of society and the mass media is upon you, you are running out of money, and hackers keep attacking you? Essentially, this game is one of the components of our training platform for raising the level of cyber-literacy.
Unfortunately, the number of cyber threats, the number of computerized devices, and the complexity of an enterprise IT infrastructure are all increasing. Indubitably, this problem will remain very critical in the near- to mid-term (at least) future. Yet, we can prepare for it. And we should. Play KIPS! My readers from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Mongolia, please join us and participate in CyberAsia: after all, the finest minds of cybersecurity and business from Central Asia will engage in the battle to save the world on the 27th of April.