Viettel Cyber Security (VCS) Wins the Global Cyber Security Competition Pwn2Own for the Second Time, Earning $205,000 Prize

HANOI, Vietnam, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The engineering team of Viettel Cyber Security (VCS) has excellently won the championship for the second consecutive time at the Pwn2Own competition—the most prestigious security arena in the world. By successfully exploiting 9 security vulnerabilities in devices from major brands such as Canon, HP, Lorex, Synology, Sonos, QNAP, Lexmark, and TrueNAS, the VCS team from Vietnam outperformed competitors from Europe, Canada, and the United States to assert its position.

According to a report from the Zero Day Initiative on October 25, the VCS team scored 33 points after four days of competition, nearly double that of the second-place team, Team Cluck from the U.S., which had 17.25 points.

Security Targets Successfully Exploited by VCS at Pwn2Own

Pwn2Own is an annual network attack competition held since 2007, likened to the World Cup of the security community. This year's event featured eight categories for engineers to find and exploit security vulnerabilities, including Mobile Phones, Messaging Apps, SOHO Smashup (Small Office and Home Networking Systems), Surveillance Systems, Smart Home Devices, Printers, Smart Speakers, and NAS Storage Devices.

At Pwn2Own 2024, VCS experts successfully exploited 9 targets, including Lorex and Synology surveillance cameras; Sonos smart speakers; HP, Lexmark, and Canon printers; QNAP and TrueNAS Mini X network storage devices; as well as the SOHO Smashup networking systems category.

With this impressive result, VCS won a prize worth $205,000. Through the competition, VCS not only confirmed its superior security capabilities but also made significant contributions to discovering and enhancing the security of smart devices, especially as major manufacturers face increasingly complex and sophisticated threats in the digital age.

Developing Security Skills on AI-Integrated Systems

According to Mr. Ngo Anh Huy, head of the VCS team at Pwn2Own 2024, this year's competition posed significant challenges as devices were upgraded with more complex security measures, many integrated with AI to combat attacks. Exploiting AI-integrated devices requires the VCS team to have deep knowledge of AI in addition to traditional security skills.

"With the rapid development of AI, successfully exploiting these devices not only helps the team expand its security capabilities but also prepares them to respond to increasingly complex risks in the future. Success at Pwn2Own once again proves that Vietnamese experts are on par with their peers worldwide," Mr. Huy shared.

This year's event saw over 70 zero-day vulnerabilities discovered and exploited, with total prizes reaching $1,066,625. The success of VCS at Pwn2Own is not only a source of pride for Viettel Cyber Security but also enhances the status of Vietnam's cybersecurity industry on the international stage, opening up new opportunities and challenges in global cybersecurity.

About Pwn2Own

Pwn2Own is one of the most renowned and prestigious security competitions in the world, held annually by the Zero Day Initiative (ZDI) since 2007. Known as the "World Cup" of cybersecurity, Pwn2Own attracts top security research teams from around the globe to test their abilities to exploit vulnerabilities in various devices and software, from printers and smart speakers to surveillance systems. Major technology companies such as Meta, Apple, and Pixel also eagerly bring their products to challenge the competing teams.

At Pwn2Own, competing teams must seek and exploit vulnerabilities within three months before showcasing their products at the event, aiming for high scores and cash prizes. The competition not only fosters creativity and collaboration within the cybersecurity community but also raises awareness of potential security vulnerabilities in modern technology, thereby helping manufacturers improve their product protection capabilities.

About Viettel Cyber Security

Viettel Cyber Security (VCS), hailing from Vietnam, was recognized as the best cybersecurity company in Asia according to the Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2022-2023. VCS offers a wide range of services tailored to meet the unique needs of clients, including:

• Security Operations Center (SOC) services for real-time threat monitoring and incident response
• Threat Intelligence (TI) to proactively identify and mitigate potential risks
• Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) to detect and address system vulnerabilities
• Compromise Assessment (CA) to assess and remediate security breaches

With expertise and cutting-edge technologies, VCS ensures robust protection and peace of mind for organizations navigating the complexities of cybersecurity.

Website: https://viettelcybersecurity.com/

SOURCE Viettel Cyber Security