The shooters’ union will invite IT and military experts to the cyber security hackathon in Kaunas

As the Lithuanian Rifle Association announced on Tuesday, the event is organized together with the international investment fund “ScaleWolf”, which invests in companies creating innovations in the field of defense and security, and the Kaunas science and technology park “Tech Park Kaunas”.

In the hackathon “Fire Shield 2023”, more than 50 information technology specialists and programmers will be mentors, world-class military experts will participate, lectures will be given by lecturers from the prestigious cyber security institute SANS.

According to the union, it is possible to participate in the hackathon “Fire Shield 2023” individually and in teams and propose their own solutions to the challenges of ensuring the state’s cyber security.

According to Linus Idzelis, the head of the Lithuanian Rifle Association, there has never been a bigger event dedicated to cyber security and defense in Lithuania – both the classic hackathon and the cyber competition “Capture The Flag” will be held in three days.

“The Lithuanian Rifle Association took up this challenge, because ensuring security is becoming more and more related to high technologies. The war in Ukraine has shown that cyber attacks are an integral part of modern warfare. In addition, we are seeing that this is already becoming a drone war. Various new technical and technological solutions will appear in the future, so we have to prepare for it in advance”, says L. Idzelis.

According to him, the hackathon will become a place to find like-minded people and create products to ensure the protection of national data, enable the use of drones, as well as ensure effective remotely controlled land and sea defense elements.

Challenges such as drone-based anti-ship missile defense, AI-enhanced USV MSA control system, cargo-carrying and low-power or energy-saving system, digital force protection software, secure information sharing and others await participants in the classic hackathon. Participants are also invited to propose their own challenges and products under development.

Ramūnas Tiškus, the IT specialist of the Cyber ​​Security Lizdeika Rifle Company of the Lithuanian Rifle Association, says that such events primarily help build a network of acquaintances and even find work or sponsors for the products you create.

“When I lived abroad and planned to return to Lithuania, I began to wonder how to find new contacts in the IT community. That’s when I saw an organized CTF game. At that time, I joined the team with someone who invited me to work together after the event”, recalls R. Tiškus.

Paulius Šliavas, one of the initiators of the event, the commander of the Lizdeika rifle company of the Union of Cyber ​​Security, hopes that tangible products will be created after the event, which can be used or further developed in the field of military defense.

The Scalewolf investment fund established cash prizes for the participants of the “Fire Shield 2023” hackathon who proposed the most talented, interesting and effective solutions: the winners of the first three places will be awarded 15,000, 10,000 and 5 thousand euros.

Anyone who registers in advance can participate in the event. Unregistered persons will not be admitted to the “Fire Shield 2023” hackathon.

In addition to the already mentioned world-class organizations, the National Cyber ​​Security Center and Kaunas Tech Park became partners of LŠS cyber defense and security innovation hackathon “Ugninis skydas 2023”.

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