Dubai, UAE, 27th Feb, 2026: EC Council, inventor of world renowned Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) and the global leader in cybersecurity education and training, led the Falcon Hunt Capture the Flag competition at Zayed University during the 16th Student Research Conference on Applied Computing (SRC 2025). Hosted at the ZU Convention Center in Dubai, Falcon Hunt served as a high impact platform created by EC Council to advance hands on cybersecurity capability among emerging talent in the UAE.
The competition was powered by EC Council Learning, the world’s largest online cybersecurity learning library with advanced CTF and cyber range environments. Falcon Hunt brought the real world intensity of cyber defense into an academic setting, giving students access to EC Council’s immersive, simulation driven learning experience. These environments replicate modern attack surfaces and enable learners to practice network scanning, exploitation, incident response, privilege escalation, cryptography, and packet inspection with authenticity and precision.
Through this event, EC Council reinforced its mission to close the global cybersecurity skills gap by providing practical, job ready learning pathways. Falcon Hunt strengthened the UAE’s growing cybersecurity ecosystem by enabling students to test their skills under pressure and gain exposure to EC Council’s industry leading methodologies.
After a rigorous two hour challenge featuring ten complex cybersecurity flags, the top three teams emerged.
First Place – Script Kiddies
Omar Khalayleh, Hamzah Salem, Moíath Owheeb
Second Place – Hash n Run
Samah Ahmed, Huda Abdul Latheef, Nabiha Khan, Ryan Feroz
Third Place – Hotkeys
Anastasia Kajalic, Jeanette Susan Joice, Aathrey Ruturaj Kubasad
“Falcon Hunt reflects EC Council’s commitment to creating high quality, real world learning environments that prepare students not only to participate, but to excel, in global cybersecurity roles. The skill level demonstrated by the students at Zayed University is a strong indicator of the UAE’s growing cyber readiness. We look forward to building more opportunities that bring hands on cybersecurity training directly to learners,” said Jay Bavisi, Group President, EC Council.
Zayed University collaborated with EC Council in facilitating the campus event and providing academic support to the participating teams. “We value EC Council’s leadership in bringing an industry aligned Capture the Flag experience to our students. Falcon Hunt provides an essential gateway for learners to apply cybersecurity principles in real scenarios,” said Omar Alfandi, Dean of the College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University.
By driving practical skill development, EC Council continues to play a central role in shaping the next generation of cybersecurity professionals across the UAE and the wider Middle East.
About EC-Council:
EC-Council is the creator of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program and a leader in cybersecurity education. Founded in 2001, EC-Council’s mission is to provide high-quality training and certifications for cybersecurity professionals to keep organizations safe from cyber threats. EC-Council offers over 200 certifications and degrees in various cybersecurity domains, including forensics, security analysis, threat intelligence, and information security.
An ISO/IEC 17024 accredited organization, EC-Council has certified over 350,000 professionals worldwide, with clients ranging from government agencies to Fortune 100 companies. EC-Council is the gold standard in cybersecurity certification, trusted by the U.S. Department of Defense, the Army, Navy, Air Force, and leading global corporations.
For more information, visit: www.eccouncil.org
About Zayed University:
Zayed University is a national and regional leader in educational innovation. Founded in 1998 and proudly bearing the name of the Founder of the Nation – the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, this flagship institution has met the President’s high expectations. Today, Zayed University has two modern campuses in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that welcome both national and international students.
