Vietnam launches national cybersecurity competition for students amid talent shortage

The event comes at a crucial time, as Vietnam is projected to face a shortage of up to 700,000 cybersecurity professionals over the next three years.

The competition is jointly organized by the NCA and the Department of Cybersecurity and High-Tech Crime Prevention under the Ministry of Public Security.

It is meant to encourage and promote the study and practice of cybersecurity among university students, helping to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

Speaking at the event, Vu Ngoc Son, head of technology research at the NCA, noted a unique aspect of this year's competition: for the first time, artificial intelligence (AI) will be involved, and students from any academic background are welcome to register.

"The competition won't just feature domestic teams, as it will also include participants from ASEAN countries, Russia, Australia, and others," Son said.

"This is a valuable opportunity for students to gain international experience and test their skills.

"Participants will face challenges such as vulnerability exploitation, data decryption, digital forensics, and reverse engineering.

"While AI can be very fast in tackling these tasks, we'll be setting traps to mislead AI systems, ensuring that human skills are still key to success."

The competition will feature two main formats, Capture The Flag (CTF) and Attack & Defense.

The CTF section will focus on skills such as vulnerability exploitation, cryptography, reverse engineering, digital forensics, malware analysis, and incident response.

The preliminary round will be held online via the nCademy platform in late September.

The national finals are scheduled for October in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, as part of a series of events celebrating the upcoming signing of the Hanoi Convention.

Attack & Defense teams will compete in Hanoi, while CTF teams will compete in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The competition offers a total cash prize pool of VND220 million (US$8,398).

In addition to monetary awards, winning teams will have the opportunity to intern and gain real-world experience at cybersecurity firms that are members of the association.