Symantec hosted first cyber readiness challenge

Symantec hosted the first Cyber Readiness Challenge (CRC), an interactive cyber security competition on October 29, 2014, for corporates in Mumbai. A first of its kind initiative by a security vendor, the CRC was designed to help security experts in organizations experience new methods of cyber attacks. An immersive, interactive ‘capture the flag’ competition that models scenarios based on the current threat landscape using realistic IT infrastructure, the CRC puts participants in the shoes of the hackers, so they can intuitively discover and develop a better understanding of hackers’ targets, technology, and thought processes.

Sanjay Rohatgi, President, Sales -Symantec India, said, “With targeted attacks on the rise, cybercriminals have become more patient and stakeout for longer periods of time to ramp up before carrying out attacks. To stay ahead of the cybercriminals, the Symantec Cyber Readiness Challenge will provide IT and security experts with an opportunity to experience real life security scenarios and enable them to formulate stronger strategies against potential cyber attacks.”

The first CRC in Bangalore saw a turnout of 40 security professionals from over 20 large and medium enterprises compete in attack scenarios provided by Symantec. Post-competition, more than 60% of the participants responded that they considered the competition to be helpful when planning future cybersecurity strategies for their organizations.

The challenge in Mumbai built on this positive momentum and see IT and cybersecurity experts from over 25 companies including top banks, financial institutions, IT companies and telecos sharpen their security and cyber forensic skills