On September 21, 2024, the Final round of Digital Dragons: The 2nd Cybersecurity Challenge – DDC 2024 was held at the Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology (VKU), the University of Danang. The competition was organized by VKU in collaboration with Evvo Labs, Singapore, under the professional sponsorship of the Information Security Department of the Ministry of Information and Communications and FISU Vietnam.

A commemorative photo was taken at the opening of The 2nd Cybersecurity Challenge – DDC 2024.

Attending the Final Round, representing the Authority of Information Security – Ministry of Information and Communications (the professional sponsoring unit), was Mr. Hoang Xuan Hieu, Head of the Cybersecurity Emergency Response Teams/Coordination Center (VNCERT/CC), Danang branch; representatives from the leadership of the Department of Science and Technology, the University of Danang (UD), UD’s member universities, and other universities in the Central and Central Highlands. On the business side, Evvo Labs (Singapore) was represented by Mr. Wong Yee Leong, Director, and Mr. Chew Teck Shiong, CEO (Co-Chairman of the organizing committee); Eclypsium (a leading global cybersecurity company) was represented by Mr. Quang Hung, Business Development Manager in Vietnam, and Mr. Ruoh Huan Tan, Technical Consultant for the APAC region. Representing VKU were Assoc. Prof. Dr. Huynh Cong Phap, Rector, Dr. Trần Thế Sơn, Vice Rector (Chairman of the organizing committee), along with leaders of departments, faculties, centers, lecturers, and students of the university. A total of 21 teams (from 8 universities nationwide) will participate in the semifinals and finals held directly at VKU.

Digital Dragons: The Cybersecurity Challenge 2024 is a competition for university students nationwide who have a passion for information technology as well as cybersecurity. The competition aims to create an exciting and rewarding platform that encourages learning and creativity in this field.

Dr. Tran The Son – Vice Rector of the University (Head of the Organizing Committee) delivered the opening speech at the DDC 2024 Final.

In his speech at the DDC 2024 Final, Dr. Trần Thế Sơn, Vice Rector of the University and Head of the Organizing Committee, emphasized: “The competition is not only an opportunity for you to showcase your talent and creativity, but also an important step in raising awareness and knowledge about cybersecurity in the community. In an era of rapid digital development, information and data have become valuable assets, requiring us to learn and master cybersecurity knowledge. However, with technological advancements come increasingly complex cybersecurity risks and threats. This competition is a chance for you to demonstrate your abilities and explore innovative solutions to protect information security. After two successful editions, attracting attention from many universities nationwide, we hope the competition will continue to expand, becoming a national academic and intellectual platform focused on cybersecurity in the future.”

Mr. Chew Teck Shiong – CEO of Evvo Labs (Co-chair of the Organizing Committee) delivered a congratulatory speech.

On behalf of the co-organizing unit, Mr. Chew Teck Shiong, CEO of Evvo Labs, was pleased to announce that following the success of DDC 2023, Evvo Labs continued to partner with VKU to organize DDC 2024. The goal is to identify and develop cybersecurity talent in Vietnam, equipping them with advanced cybersecurity skills to help cultivate a pool of talent capable of tackling cybersecurity challenges both locally and globally.

DDC 2024 has attracted 100 competing teams with over 400 contestants from more than 25 universities and academies nationwide, including: Vietnam-Korea University of Information and Communication Technology, the University of Danang; University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Academy of Cryptography Techniques; Academy of Posts and Telecommunications; FPT University; University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi; University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; University of Natural Sciences, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City; Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, among others. The competition consists of four rounds: preliminary, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals.

After the preliminary and quarter-final rounds, the Organizing Committee selected 21 teams to advance to the semi-finals, where 10 of the best teams will be chosen to compete in the finals. Both the semi-final and final rounds took place on September 21, 2024, at VKU.

Top 10 teams competing in the DDC 2024 finals

In the finals, the 10 outstanding teams will compete directly against various challenges involving web application penetration, network security, cryptography techniques, reverse engineering, XXE (XML External Entity) vulnerabilities, binary exploitation, advanced cryptography, and real-world scenarios. The judges consists of cybersecurity and information security experts, including Dr. Tran The Son (VKU), Mr. Nguyen Thanh Khanh (VNCert), and Mr. Muralidharan Namperumal (Evvo Labs).

The first-place prize of 2,000 USD was awarded to the winning team, BlueCyber_1nt3rn, from the University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi.

After 4 hours of intense, dramatic, and thrilling competition, the Organizing Committee awarded 1 first prize to the team BlueCyber_1nt3rn (University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi); 1 second prize to the team ae (University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City); 1 third prize to the team CactusJ (University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City); and 2 consolation prizes to the teams ea (University of Information Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City) and UET_Ch1lL (University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Hanoi). The total prize value exceeded 100,000,000 VND (including: 1st prize of 2,000 USD, 2nd prize of 950 USD, 3rd prize of 550 USD, and 2 consolation prizes of 125 USD each), along with many other attractive prizes.

Representatives from businesses and universities share experiences at the Networking Forum on Cybersecurity during the DDC 2024 finals.

The competition is honored to receive support and professional sponsorship from the Authority of Information Security, Ministry of Information and Communications, and FISU Vietnam, along with the collaboration of major sponsors both domestically and internationally, such as Roundesk Infocomm Pte. Ltd., Agentis Intelligence Pte. Ltd., Eclypsium, and Netpluz Asia Pte Ltd.

As part of the DDC 2024 finals, a MOU signing ceremony was held between VKU, Evvo Labs (Singapore), and Dev Plus (Vietnam).

The 2nd Cybersecurity Challenge – DDC 2024 has concluded, leaving a profound impact and affirming the remarkable development of the information security field among students. The success of the competition not only showcases the talent and creativity of the participating teams but also highlights the important role of education and international collaboration in training and developing cybersecurity talent. VKU, Evvo Labs, and partners from Singapore are committed to continuing to support and expand this competition, turning it into a prestigious national academic platform.

Center for Learning Resources and Communication

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