Recently awarded ‘Cybersecurity Company of the Year’ in the 2023 Techtrends Zambia Awards, Paratus Zambia is proud to announce that it is the official internet connectivity sponsor for the upcoming Capture the Flag competition. Hosted by Digital Safe Limited and in collaboration with Hack the Box, the competition will see students from different universities compete in various rounds of cybersecurity challenges. 

According to a recent 2023 article on Forbes.com, “Every company is now a reachable target, and every company, large or small, has operations, brand, reputation, and revenue pipelines that are potentially at risk from a breach.” Another 2023 article on Truefort.comclaims that the “average cost of a data breach is projected to reach $4.2 million by 2023.”   In a world where cyber threats are a constant concern, the shortage of 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals remains a pressing issue and bridging the gap becomes paramount. That's why competitions like these are vital. They foster a vibrant community for cybersecurity enthusiasts to support one another and offer a practical avenue for students to gain much-needed real-world experience.

Paratus Zambia Country Manager, Marius Van Vuuren says “As the official connectivity sponsor, this gives us a great opportunity to assist our future generations in developing their skills in a much-needed area of expertise. By being part of a competition like this, we can assist in nurturing a pool of proven and skilled cybersecurity professionals for the Zambian industry to tap into. Cybercrime is one of the greatest risks to any business, and even though our digital technology is always improving, unfortunately, cyber-attack sophistication is ever evolving and improving as well, so we always need to be one step ahead of the hackers.”  Paratus Zambia will be leveraging its expansive network infrastructure (including microwave technology, metro fiber networks, etc…) and provide mobile internet devices such as MiFis, data bundles and internet dongles to accommodate participants located outside the capital for the duration of the competition. We’ve invested heavily in building out a robust network that extends to major industrial and commercial centers throughout the country.”

Musonda Kapaya, Digital Safe Limited Chief Executive Officer says, “We are excited to host this competition once again. Our first competition last year was a great success, and we look forward to offering students real-life scenarios to equip them with the necessary skills to combat any possible future cybercrime threats. Because a high-quality connection is essential for all stages of the competition, we are of course delighted to have Paratus Zambia on board so that everything runs without a glitch.”

The competition is two-fold and consists of a qualifier and a final round. The qualifier, which takes place on 29 July 2023, will be completely virtual; while the final will take place on 26 August 2023, and will be at a Unicaf University. Prizes for the competition include membership to the Official International Security Auditing and Compliance Association (ISACA), premium subscription Hack the Box vouchers, laptops, as well as additional branded sponsored goodies.  Paratus Zambia will also be taking the competition finalists on an exclusive visit to its state-of-the-art Data Center in Lusaka to give the participants some valuable insights into advanced cybersecurity infrastructure.

Being the official internet sponsor is just another way for Paratus Zambia to connect Africa to the world, and by joining forces with Digital Safe Limited, Paratus will actively be contributing to the growth of cybersecurity professionalism in Zambia.