wonReaders of this website may remember the young ethical hackers who got into trouble for finding a security flaw in a popular students’ app. Apart from finding security flaws in local apps, they are also participating in the yearly National Cyber Security Challenge organised by MITA. This year, Luke Bjorn Scerri, Giorgio Grigolo and Michael Debono have won the competition. Luke Bjorn Scerri also won the 2022 edition.
The National Cyber Security Challenge is a competition for the national representation of the European Cybersecurity Challenge. The young Maltese ethical-hackers seem to be on top of the local list having won the national challenge multiple times.
However, this year they were informed by MITA after having awarded them their prizes, that they can’t qualify for the European finals in Turin since they are still under police investigation.
I could not find any rules that disqualify them for being under police investigation, but it is odd that MITA would raise this issue given that they haven’t even been charged in court yet.
In any case, this should be a case where the government makes an effort to support national local talent in any way possible, including finding technical means to get them off the hook, especially since they have settled with their alleged victim who reported them to the police. The government is causing a prolonged national crisis by allowing Joseph Muscat off the hook, yet this is a perfect case where a Presidential Pardon would be in order, if at all given the asinine and petty nature of the case.
Website Editor
Historian and Publisher
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