Kaspersky Lab calls on students to submit papers for the 2013 CyberSecurity Conference.

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions, is again calling all students across the Philippines to send their original research papers on internet security and cybercrime for the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (APAC and MEA) Cup of the 2013 Kaspersky Lab Student Conference. More details after the jump.

Authors of the most innovative and carefully thought-out concepts on cybersecurity will be selected and invited to present his/her paper at the APAC and MEA regional finals to be held at the National University of Singapore from March 21 to 23, 2013.
The APAC and MEA Cup is one of the five regional rounds of Kaspersky Lab’s global annual conference, a collaborative environment where students, experts, scientists and researchers from all over the world will get together to present and discuss the most burning issues relating to global cybercrime.
The Kaspersky Lab Student Conference also serves a platform for the next generation of experts to share their knowledge and ideas, inspiring them to push the limits of IT security technology still further. This event can also open potential and attractive career opportunities for the participants in the field of IT security.
The best research papers in the APAC and MEA Cup will be chosen to be presented and compete with the rest of the other regional qualifiers (from North America, South America, Europe, Russia and Commonwealth Independent States) in the international round of the conference to be held at the Royal Holloway, University of London in the United Kingdom in June 2013.
In this annual competition, the best research papers by undergraduate and post-graduate students are carefully evaluated by a panel of top global security professionals composed of Kaspersky Lab security experts and academicians from renowned institutes. Among these entries, only three papers that show outstanding ideas are awarded the overall top prizes in the final round.
Winners will receive generous cash prizes of up to US$1,000 (approximately PhP 40,000) and a fun, unforgettable experience of meeting and collaborating with the best minds in cybersecurity.
Representatives of the top three papers to the regional and global rounds will also receive all-expenses paid trips and accommodation to the respective conference venues.
In the 2012 Kaspersky Lab Student Conference, two research papers from the University of the Philippines (UP) were the top picks out of the 2,500 submissions in the entire region. These papers eventually won for UP and the Philippines the first and second spots in the APAC & MEA Cup held at the City University of Hong Kong.
They advanced and represented the country in the international round of the competition held at the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands.
The 2012 Kaspersky Lab Student Conference was eventually dominated by the Filipino research paper entitled “Secure Online USB Log-in System” by UP Computer Science majors Joshua Arvin Lat, Kevin Charles Atienza and Rod Xavier Bondoc. Their paper bested 13 other regional finalists from all over the world.
Registration for interested university and college students is ongoing. Submissions of research papers is accepted until February 11, 2013. Notifications for participation in the regional round will be sent by February 18, 2013.
The competition is open to individuals and groups. For group submissions, only one representative will be sponsored to attend the conference.
This year’s Kaspersky Lab Student Conference will include the following topics:
1. Emerging threats for emerging platforms

• Embedded systems
• Mobile security (Android, IOS, Windows Phone)
• Windows 8, Mac OS & other operating systems, etc.

2. Securing cloud, virtual & ‘big data’ infrastructure

• Mail services
• Storage devices
• Social networks, etc.

3. Future protection technologies

• Proactive detection technologies
• Filtering technologies
• Web application security, etc.

4. Securing corporate infrastructure

• Combating advanced persistent threats (APTS), targeted attacks
• Vulnerabilities, exploits
• Rootkits/bootkits, botnets
• DDoS attacks
• Network security, etc.

5. Security education

•  Tools and resources to raise and promote cybersecurity

Jimmy Fong, Kaspersky Lab’s Channel Sales Director for Southeast Asia said that the Philippines’ win in last year’s competition proves that there are great talents from the Philippines especially in developing new techniques and strategies in combating digital threats. He also added that the Philippines should continue to pursue greater goals not just in these competitions but also in keeping people safe from cybercriminals.
“I’m confident that the Philippines will again show its best during the event. I hope that young people also show more passion in safeguarding all that they value safe from digital harm,” Fong said.
For registration, paper submission process, paper format, conference guidelines and and more information about this year's student conference, please go to this link: http://www.kaspersky.com/about/events/educational-events/Asia_Pasific_MEA_Round_2013
Updates are also posted on its official Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/KasperskyStudentConference