WAM Abu Dhabi, May 7th, 2012 (WAM) -- The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA) has represented the United Arab Emirates at the global Cyber Security Olympics 'Cyberlympics' Event held in the United States in Virginia.

The TRA, through the Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), formed a UAE cyber team that included Khalifa Al shamsi and Majed Al Ali, and competed against six of the world's best in the industry.

Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, TRA Director General remarked, "It is always a great honor and privilege to be in the company of great minds. All of the teams that have reached this level in the competition have shown incredible skill, motivation, and a sincere interest in promoting cyber security. The UAE represented by the TRA is no exception. The aeCERT team has worked tirelessly to be a part of this global event, and has throughout its existence shown this depth of passion for their role in safeguarding the community through their cyber security endeavors." The Cyberlympics global event took place following a series of regional competitions around the world. The TRA hosted a regional event along with the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC Council) that was held in October 2011 during GITEX Technology Week in Dubai. This competition saw many of the region's master hackers come together to compete for the regional title; the event was considered a first in the Middle East.

"The TRA is extremely proud to have been a part of the regional event that saw some of our finest national talents succeed and win. To emerge a winner from that high caliber of competition is a testament to the importance and significance that cyber security is given in the UAE. I would like to thank all those that participated in the global event as a result of their regional success, and reiterate what an important service that they have performed for the country by representing our national interests on the world stage." The UAE cyber team competed against six teams who had previously emerged as finalists from their regional victories. The teams were from the US, UAE, India, Netherlands, and Hungary. The UAE cyber team ranked fourth in the competition with the Netherlands victorious receiving first place, the US came in second, and Hungary achieved third place.

WAM/ES/AM