Circularo Returns as Gold Sponsor of School of Cyber Defence 2026, Investing in the Next Gen of Cybersecurity Talent

Circularo

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, September 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Circularo, a provider of secure digital transaction and document management solutions, is returning as a Gold Sponsor of the School of Cyber Defence Competition 2026, reinforcing its commitment to education, responsible innovation and the development of the next generation of cybersecurity professionals in the UAE.

Held under the patronage of the Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC) and organised by TechFirm Technology LLC, the national cybersecurity competition brings together university students from across the UAE to tackle practical challenges inspired by the work of professional cyber defenders. The competition will culminate in a live final on 18 September 2026 at GISEC Global, where the five strongest finalist teams will present and defend their solutions before an expert jury.

For Circularo, returning to the competition for a second consecutive year is about more than supporting an industry event. It reflects a broader belief that building a safer digital future requires investment not only in technology, but also in the people responsible for designing, operating and protecting it.

“Cybersecurity is ultimately a human responsibility. We can build stronger technologies, stronger controls and stronger digital infrastructure, but none of that replaces the need for skilled people who know how to respond when something goes wrong,” said Pavel Cernoch, Co-Founder and Chief Sales Officer at Circularo. “That is why we are proud to support the School of Cyber Defence for a second year. Giving students the opportunity to work on realistic challenges, learn directly from practitioners and demonstrate what they can do on a stage like GISEC is an investment in the resilience of the digital future we are all building.”

From the classroom to real-world cyber defense

The 2026 edition has been designed to move beyond traditional competition formats. Teams of up to five university students will work through challenges covering network defence, threat management, system security and incident response - areas that reflect the decisions and skills required in real-world cybersecurity operations.

The competition begins with an online qualification stage, followed by a case-study phase in which teams analyse a scenario, develop their own solution and submit it for independent expert evaluation. The five strongest teams will then receive dedicated mentorship before taking their solutions to the GISEC Global stage.

The format gives students something that is difficult to replicate in a classroom alone: the opportunity to solve a problem, receive feedback from experienced professionals, refine their thinking and ultimately defend their approach in front of an expert audience.

“Talent development is one of the most important long-term investments the cybersecurity community can make,” added Cernoch. “Students need opportunities to move from understanding cybersecurity concepts to applying them under pressure, explaining their decisions and learning from people who have faced these challenges in the real world. Initiatives like this help create that bridge.”

The need for that bridge is reflected in the response to the competition. The inaugural School of Cyber Defence at GISEC Global 2025 attracted more than 300 applications from universities across the UAE, with 130 students participating in three days of qualification rounds. The 2026 edition builds on that foundation with a team-based format and a stronger focus on practical cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.

Supporting a safer digital future

Circularo's involvement in the School of Cyber Defence forms part of the company's broader social responsibility commitment to supporting education, innovation and community-building.

As a company operating in the digital trust space, Circularo sees a direct connection between that commitment and the development of cybersecurity talent. Secure digital transformation depends not only on trustworthy platforms and technologies, but also on a community of professionals capable of understanding emerging risks, challenging assumptions and building resilient systems.

The School of Cyber Defense provides a practical environment for that development - connecting students with cybersecurity practitioners and industry leaders while giving them exposure to the wider professional community at GISEC Global, one of the region's leading cybersecurity events.

“Digital trust cannot be created by technology alone,” said Cernoch. “It is built through people, knowledge, accountability and the willingness to keep learning. Supporting young cybersecurity professionals is therefore not separate from what we do at Circularo. It is part of the same responsibility: helping create a digital environment that people, organisations and communities can trust.”

About the School of Cyber Defence Competition 2026

The School of Cyber Defence is a national cybersecurity competition for university students in the UAE, held under the patronage of the Dubai Electronic Security Center and organised by Tech Firm Technology LLC. The 2026 competition is open to university students aged 17 and above, with teams of up to five participants. No previous competition experience is required. The competition includes online qualification and case-study stages, followed by mentorship for the five finalist teams and a live final at GISEC Global on 18 September 2026.

Key dates:

Registration deadline: 3 September 2026
Online qualification: by 6 September 2026
Case and jury review: 7–11 September 2026
Finalists announced and mentoring: 14 September 2026
Live final: 18 September 2026
Venue: Dubai Exhibition Centre, Expo City Dubai
Prize pool: over AED 20,000

University students can register their teams through the official School of Cyber Defence website.

About Circularo

Founded in 2013, Circularo is a leading provider of digital trust platforms for secure eSigning, trusted document workflows, and sovereign shared digital services, trusted by governments, enterprises, and institutions across the Middle East and globally. With a focus on quality, compliance, and security, Circularo enables organisations to digitise, automate, and govern document-centric processes while maintaining full control, legal reliability, and trust.
Its platform supports both enterprise and multi-entity shared service environments, helping organisations deploy trusted digital workflows with strong governance, data control, and regulatory alignment across complex institutional ecosystems. Circularo complies with key international standards and regulations, including International Organization for Standardization / IEC 9001, ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, eIDAS, DESC CSP Security Standard and General Data Protection Regulation.

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