CATCH HIM IF YOU CAN! FRANK ABAGNALE SET TO MAKE AN APPEARANCE AT BLACK HAT MEA, THE ULTIMATE HACKATHON EVENT IN KSA

Meet the man with more than one identity, enjoy unmatched networking opportunities, attend bespoke training sessions and participate in exciting competitions during the 3-day mega-event

The world’s leading hackers and cybersecurity professionals will descend on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia over the next two weeks for Black Hat Middle East and Africa – the region’s leading cybersecurity conference taking place from 15 to 17 November 2022. as part of Riyadh Season at Riyadh Front Exhibition Centre. Co-hosted by the Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP), and Informa Markets, and endorsed by Turki Al-Sheikh, chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Entertainment Authority (GEA), Black Hat is the most-awaited cybersecurity event in the region and is officially supported by the GEA. 

The event will welcome information security specialists and the global cybersecurity industry to a wide variety of exciting activities and sector-leading presentations to inspire the Middle East’s growing cybersecurity community. 

The mega-event will host Frank Abagnale, renowned Cybercrime & Fraud Prevention Expert, Bestselling Author & subject of the movie Catch Me If You Can, who will speak about identity theft and simple strategies to protect against cyber criminals. Abagnale will also take visitors through an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at how identity theft works and why we need more than just passwords for maximum security especially in today’s digital world.

Joining him will be Quinn Carman from the National Security Agency (NSA) and an expert in Cyber-attack, Cyber defence, Close Access, and in Social Engineering, will take the attacker's perspective and showcase how an adversary targets people.

As part of its Activity Zone, Black Hat MEA will have a dedicated space, sponsored by NEOM, that will include a Smart City Village Simulation model where visitors can try and hack critical information infrastructure assets using real-world systems and examples. 

Attendees can also visit the Cyber Escape Room Village; a thrilling physical activation game for visitors to test their cybersecurity knowledge while raising awareness and education in a fun and engaging way. The Activity Zone by NEOM will help visitors get an interactive understanding of cybersecurity risks, including activations on emerging threats such as vehicle hacking and removing embedded eMMC multimedia chips from IoT and mobile devices. 

Visitors can expect to see interactive experiences to learn about the vulnerabilities of various locking devices and techniques to exploit them as well as learn how to hack drones and fly them in an exciting obstacle course. 

1,000 participants split into 250 teams will also take part in a thrilling three-day challenge for cash prizes in the exclusive Capture The Flag competition. Sponsored by Trend Micro, this competition is the largest of its kind in the region and one of the largest in the world. 

“Cyber threats are an increasing risk in today’s highly digitized economy. A lack of awareness and discourse contributes to the growth in attacks. Through events like Black Hat, the private and public sector have an opportunity to collaborate, address this issue of national and regional importance and develop strategies to mitigate the risk. We are proud to host and lead this initiative,” said Faisal Al-Khamisi, Chairman of the Saudi Federation of Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones (SAFCSP).

The event will also see the opening of the exclusive CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) Club Experience, which will facilitate networking and business development between CISOs. The club will be the only forum in the Middle East and Africa for high-level engagement between CISOs in the region.

Michael Champion, Regional Executive Vice President of Informa Markets, said: “The eyes of the global security industry will be on Riyadh over the coming two weeks as we bring the world’s leading infosec experts to Saudi Arabia for Black Hat Middle East and Africa. This event is number one in the region, and the third largest in the world, and includes hackers with elite skills and Global CISOs from the world's biggest brands all under one roof. It’s a really fun event too and we’re expecting record breaking crowds to get involved in jaw dropping experiential activities and the largest competition cash prize in the region"

The event will feature 19 bespoke training sessions, an exclusive developer space aptly named Arsenal, where new tools and products are showcased, exclusive briefings and various competitions. Visitors can take part in Capture The Flag, a jeopardy-style hacking tournament for over 1,000 participants to enhance their ethical hacking skills at different difficulty levels for a SAR 700,000 prize fund or be part of the Bug Bounty Cup with a prize fund of SAR 300,000. The event will also host a Start-Up competition where the top pitches present to seasoned judges, angel investors, tech experts, and government stakeholders for a cash prize of SAR 90,000.