The Chinese government has established an efficient pipeline of capture-the-flag (CTF) tournaments to attract cyber-savvy citizens and train tens of thousands of cybersecurity specialists. The effort has paid off, with the nation hosting over 50 annual competitions that help deepen technical expertise in various industries.
China’s Ministry of Education accounts for the most competitions, with a total of 22 sponsored events. The country’s comprehensive approach to cybersecurity training has successfully addressed its shortages and is on track to become a cyber superpower. Western nations, however, continue to fall short in this regard.
According to a research report by the Atlantic Council, China’s CTF tournaments allow the government to gain valuable information on new strategies and techniques, as well as collect exploit techniques used by participants. The competitions also attract younger participants, such as high schoolers, into the field of cybersecurity.
Western governments can learn from China’s approach, says senior cyber defense researcher Eugenio Benincasa. “Hacking contests can bring better allocation of resources in the short and long term,” he notes. Integrating CTF contests into academic curricula is key to creating a pipeline for funneling technically minded students into cybersecurity roles.
The Chinese government’s focus on practical experience through hacking contests has contributed significantly to its turnaround in cybersecurity. The approach allows for a bottom-up, organically driven process that recognizes the importance of cybersecurity and breaks down taboos around it.
Source: https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/china-cyber-corps-hone-skills-virtual-battlefields