Smart Policing Hackathon

Improving Belgium's federal police force

Description

Ensuring security and quality of life in society is a constant challenge for the Police. Society and crime are constantly evolving, so the Police must also continue to innovate smartly. Remaining alert and agile to efficiently combat small, large and disruptive crime is essential for the Police.

The Smart Policing Hackathon, in collaboration with Vias Institute and EY, is a launchpad to boost smart innovation in the Police. How can we put innovation at the service of policing for citizens? And how can the Police as an organisation innovate smartly in order to position itself as an attractive employer in the labour market?

During 2 days teams of start-ups, scaleups, corporates and students had the opportunity to collaborate and create digital and innovative solutions relevant for Police. A diverse and dedicated team of experts and coaches assisted us during the process. After the hacking, we had to present our suggestion to a mixed jury of experts

Solution

My team and I battled against big companies in the Smart Selection & Training category. Together we came up with the FCCU CTF platform. This is a public faced CTF platform that will serve as branding for the FCCU. Besides gaining popularity among the right people, individuals with the perfect profile will have an easier way to get in touch with the FCCU. We can put forensics and stegonagraphy challenges on the platform which are exactly what the FCCU does. Besides serving these individuals that are skilled in cyber security on a silver platter, the FCCU could also use this as a part of their recruitment process. At this moment there’s only a written, theoretical exam as well as a big shortage of qualified personnel. Our platform would give them the chance to also test the practical skills of their applicants. This could also be deployed for Regional CCUs. You can check out our pitch here.

Result

To compete in such a specific hackathon against big corporate teams was very tough for us as a team of students. However, we were sure of our skills in cyber security and we knew very well how to apply and sell this. So eventually our knowledge and confidence combined led us to our victory. It was an amazing feeling to hear the Minister of Internal Affairs announce that your team won. It didn't even stop at just winning the hackathon, we got the amazing experience to work together with EY, VIAS and the Federal Police.

Mentions:

11 December, 2020