Black Hat MENA Conference Conclusions Hosted by Saudi Federation for Cyber Security and Programming

27 November2024: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia continues its achievements hosting the Black Hat Conference hosted by the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming, and Drones, which specializes in cybersecurity, The Black Hat is the most important global gathering of cybersecurity experts and researchers. The conference addresses advanced research in the field of cybersecurity topics such as the latest threats, vulnerabilities and countermeasures. In addition to practical exercises. The most famous exercise which is world experts competing to (Capture the Flag). Additionally, the conference offers workshops, discussions with thought leaders, and examinations of emerging technologies for individuals interested in buying them.

Bakheit bin Mohammed Amrri, a legal and technical expert, provided a concise explanation of the concept behind the Capture the Flag challenge in response to this outstanding accomplishment. The concept behind Capture the Flag: like a person on the battlefield, you conduct reconnaissance operations to find weaknesses in the opponents’ systems, then exploit the weakness to gain unauthorized access to the opponents’ systems without their knowledge, and then, when it suits you, you escalate your level of access to gain control of the system, advancing you to Capture the Flag. CTF is the symbolism of controlling the opponents’ systems and winning.

Capture the Flag challenges come with different topics, such as: web application security, exploiting vulnerabilities, reverse engineering, network security, and other important topics.

Drone cybersecurity: When the above topics are combined together, they make the context of drone cybersecurity. Drones are unmanned aircraft that are operated remotely by humans or operate with artificial intelligence. It is no wonder that the Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming and Drones hosted the Black Hat Conference in the capital, Riyadh, concluded at the end of November 28, 2024, under the umbrella of Riyadh Season by the Saudi General Entertainment Authority making Riyadh Season a cultural, entertainment and educational season for all.

Important subjects covered at Black Hat MENA include employing drone accessories (such as cameras, sensors, and loads) and exploiting the equipment loaded on the drone, as well as hacking drones to gain unauthorized access to control drone systems or networks. 

The benefits of hosting and participating in the Black Hat conference enhance staying updated with cybersecurity in general and drones in particular, which have become used in the fields of entertainment shows, parcel delivery, and the military field. When a country implements an entertainment show with tens of thousands of drones, it sends a clear implicit message to the world for its mastery of drone technology.

The Black Hat MENA conference concluded by empowering cybersecurity specialists to stay informed of the latest threats and technologies, improve their skills, contribute to the advancement of this field, and transfer specialized knowledge and skills to the next generation in an entertaining manner in a safe, specialized environment under the supervision of experts.