ECU Joondalup campus hosted the 26 Western Australian teams competing in the competition.
More than 400 high school students from around Australia went head-to-head in a large-scale digital competition over the weekend.
Almost 100 teams from states and territories across the country took part in PECAN+ Capture The Flag (CTF) – with participants competing to solve exciting cyber security challenges and correctly uncover digital 'flags' (strings of text).
Developed and led by Edith Cowan University's (ECU) School of Science, PECAN+ CTF is a free, collaborative initiative for students in years 10 to 12, with the aim of raising cyber security awareness and skills.
What began in 2019 as a friendly battle with teams from Perth and Canberra – hence the name PECAN – the annual competition has grown to be Australia-wide, with more than 400 competitors across 11 national sites, made up of 98 teams.
ECU Joondalup campus hosted the 26 Western Australian teams – which included several winners from the competition, including overall nationalfirst place in advanced division - CTRLALTDEFEAT-WA and top all-female team in intermediate division - Cipher Sisters.
Professor Paul Haskell-Dowland, Associate Dean for International and Strategic Partnerships in ECU's School of Science, said the PECAN+ event was a great opportunity for high school students to explore cyber security careers in a safe and supportive environment alongside academics and professionals from the cyber industry.
"This is an industry with a continuing demand for talent that can lead to exciting careers with global potential," Professor Haskell-Dowland said.
"ECU continues to represent a significant proportion of cyber security education and has a highly impactful research program exploring critical infrastructure and emerging technologies."
The Cipher Sisters were the top all-female team in intermediate division.
Karina Price, ECU's Outreach and Engagement Coordinator for Computing Security Sciences, said the involvement of industry and government representatives in PECAN+ further helps young people to discover the diverse and interesting career opportunities available in cyber security.
"Every year, we're inspired by the incredible talent, enthusiasm and problem-solving ability that young people bring to PECAN+ CTF," Ms Price said. "Fostering curiosity about cyber security and developing cyber skills is essential to building a safer and more secure digital future, as well as inspiring the next generation of cyber professionals across Australia.
"PECAN+ provides an engaging environment where young participants can explore cyber security concepts, build practical skills, tackle challenges, collaborate with their peers and, importantly, have fun!"
PECAN+ CTF helps young people discover the career opportunities available in cyber security.
