Over 6,000 students have signed up for an online bootcamp and hackathon organized by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), Huawei and the Kenya Cybersecurity Forensics Association. The initiative is one of the activities under the Technical Cooperation Agreement the partners signed in 2022.
The two series of events launched in Nairobi will also be held in various towns across the country including Kisumu, Mombasa, Nyeri and Eldoret.
The top 100 students from each of the five regions will attend the regional finals that will be held in conjunction with university partners in Nairobi, Nyeri, Eldoret, Kisumu and Mombasa.
The bootcamp, which is an intense training activity over a short period, covers Huawei Certification e-learning Course on Cyber Security, virtual lab exercises and mentorship from experts within the field. These jointly structured sessions and courses are geared at preparing participants for a successful career in cybersecurity. The program builds on last year’s program that led to many of the students getting jobs in different sectors.
CA as the ICT sector regulator says it is continuously investing in initiatives that will translate into strategies to enhance the country’s national cybersecurity. This is aimed at building an all-around and strong foundation that will anchor the delivery of the government’s digital transformation agenda.
“Statistics show that in 2018, cyber-attacks directed at Kenya stood at 7.7 million. In 2023, the attacks have sky-rocked to reach a high of 444 million, ranking Kenya among the top three most targeted countries in the region, alongside South Africa and Nigeria,” said Ezra Chiloba, CA Director General.
For businesses and learning institutions to have the skills and knowledge to ensure network and information security, it is important to grow the quality and quantity of current and future workers skilled in cyber security.
This year’s program is a major expansion from last year’s activity thanks to the expansion to the regions. Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisumu and Nyeri.
The top hackathon teams and Bootcamp teams from each regional final will then travel to Mombasa for the National Final which will take place as part of the October Cyber Security Awareness Month to attend the National OCSAM cyber security conference.
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