picoCTF-Africa helps build cybersecurity capacity across the continent

In 2022, CyLab-Africa held the first-ever picoCTF-Africa competition to excite young Africans to pursue careers in the field of cybersecurity.

The event was a success, with almost 1,000 college, high school, and secondary school students participating at a globally-competitive level. The competition featured an African-only leaderboard within CyLab's larger annual picoCTF competition, enabling participants to see how they stacked up against others on the continent as well as around the world. In the end, picoCTF-Africa's first-place team had finished top 60 globally.

"Our goal for picoCTF-Africa 2023 is to get every country in Africa to take an active role in encouraging young learners to challenge themselves in CTFs, helping to build cybersecurity capacity across the continent," says Assane Gueye, co-director of CyLab-Africa.

Because many young African students lack access to computers and have not had the opportunity to learn more general computer skills, cybersecurity may seem like a foreign topic. To overcome this obstacle, CyLab-Africa and the Upanzi Network are holding online and in-person training sessions to prepare students ahead of the event.