Students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Sarajevo are going to London - the Security Excellence Hackathon has ended

Students from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering of Sarajevo won first place at the Security Excellence Hackathon held this weekend. Emina Zolota, Dženana Terzić, and Nadir Karaman formed the team "Pivot," which demonstrated the best results. They secured participation in the prestigious Infosecurity Europe 2024 in London, with all travel, accommodation, and visa expenses covered.

Student Emina Zolota expressed enthusiasm, saying they are thrilled with the victory and that it was very challenging. "This is the first hackathon where we had a focus on security, which surprised us; it was different from previous ones. Cybersecurity is very important; we need to learn more about it because it's crucial for us. Everything we do in the future won't be complete without it," added Emina.

The second place was secured by the team "Zeros and Ones" from the International Burch University, composed of Edim Hadžić and Ajdin Garibović. The third place went to the team "Tux" from the International Business and Information Academy Tuzla, consisting of Erna Jatić, Feđa Jovanović, Edin Čičkušič, and Amer Uljić. The team "Zeros and Ones" won a trip to the NetWork conference in Neum, while the team "Tux" received a Microsoft technical course.

The expert jury decided to award a special prize for the best team spirit, which went to the team "EdgeLords" from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering in Sarajevo. Ahmed Softić, Adel Dervić, Harun Goralija, and Belmin Durmo demonstrated outstanding unity and support throughout the competition.

Head of CSEC, Predrag Puharić, stated that the Security Excellence Hackathon is not just a competition, but also an opportunity for education and promotion of ethical hacking. "Seeing the enthusiasm and engagement of young people in the field of cybersecurity is encouraging. This event is an opportunity to build connections, exchange ideas, and create new perspectives," emphasized Puharić.

The event held this weekend at the Children's House Novo Sarajevo brought together nearly fifty students from across Bosnia and Herzegovina. The hackathon included competitive segments such as Capture the Flag (CTF) and Hack the Box (HTB), where participants had the opportunity to test their skills in solving security challenges. Additionally, teams competed in the Security by Design Challenge, which involved building secure applications and systems.

In addition to the competitive aspect, the Security Excellence Hackathon also included an educational component, which was realized through lectures and panels led by experts in cybersecurity from across Europe.

At the opening, Andrew Le Grice from the British Embassy in Sarajevo stated that the two-day Hackathon provides an opportunity for its participants to showcase their own skills, learn new techniques, and collaborate with others who share the same interests. "This applies not only to enthusiasts and experts; in the information age, we all must protect ourselves from cyber threats. The Center of Excellence in Cyber Security can help us in Bosnia and Herzegovina," emphasized Le Grice.

The Security Excellence Hackathon represents a significant event in the field of cybersecurity, providing a platform for skill development, knowledge testing, and the promotion of ethical hacking. The event was supported by the United Kingdom Government and organized in partnership with Logosoft, Verlab Institute, and ITS4Health Digital Innovation Hub.