ASHBURN, VA – DECEMBER 15, 2022 - PlayCyber® and Hack The Box (HTB) are pleased to announce their partnership in hosting a global cybersecurity scrimmage—New Year’s Blitz—on Saturday, January 7, 2023. This live-stream event, which represents HTB’s 5th Hacking Battleground Live Tournament, is one of many scrimmages planned to help players from the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) community prepare for the International Cybersecurity Championship & Conference (IC3) hosted by the United States in 2023.
“Cyber games are a fundamental element to developing the next generation of a diverse and well-qualified community of cybersecurity talent,” states Katzcy CEO and US Cyber Games Commissioner Jessica Gulick. “Games not only help build a better workforce but also keep the current workforce sharp and maintain a thriving community of cyber professionals prepared for what the future might hold in cyberattacks and possible disruptive innovations.”
Haris Pylarinos, Founder and CEO at Hack The Box highlights, “Hacking Battlegrounds are a highly effective way to learn and practice hands-on cyber skills through a fun, gamified approach. We’re seeing many players from various backgrounds and skill levels - including the next generation of cyber professionals -joining in sharpening their skills and networking with like-minded peers. Such tournaments are also an opportunity for aspiring hackers and cybersecurity professionals to grow their ‘hacking mindset’, needed to match the current threat landscape.”
Thirty-two (32) teams of four (4) players each from the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Botswana, Canada, Chile, Columbia, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Italy, Lesotho, Malaysia, Malawi, Mexico, Mongolia, Mozambique, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and the UAE will battle for 3+ hours in a bracket-style, single elimination tournament on the Hack The Box (HTB) Hacking Battlegrounds platform. Five rounds of play will determine which team is the grand prize winner. The grand prize, second-place prize, and third-place prize will be provided by Microsoft and Mastercard.
The Global Cyber Games New Year’s Blitz will be live streamed on Saturday, January 7, 2023, starting at 9:00 AM ET | 14:00 UTC.
Registration is available at www.playcyber.com/global-cyber-games-new-years-blitz.
Hosts for the event include hacking experts IppSec and John Hammond. The coverage will also include interviews with coaches and players providing viewers with an inside perspective on the skills and teamwork developed in these types of challenges.
Through its variety of challenges and live-action play, this fusion of online games and esports teaches and advances careers in cybersecurity and is recognized as the next evolution of preparing tomorrow’s cybersecurity workforce.
Katzcy—the innovative team behind PlayCyber—is a social impact company committed to drive a highly skilled and diverse cyber workforce through games. We aim to provide a fun experience for players, fans, and sponsors. We partner with organizations, nonprofits, and governments to hold games and competitions that inspire while also raising funds for vital programs. We love to collaborate—and are platform and training agnostic. Learn more at playcyber.com.
Hack The Box is a global, online cybersecurity training, upskilling, and certification platform that allows individuals, businesses, and universities to level up their offensive and defensive security skills in a gamified and engaging learning environment, backed by a growing community of more than 1,6 million platform members. For more information, visit hackthebox.com. For media inquiries contact: Sofia Vourlaki, ophie@hackthebox.com.