PNG marks a national milestone in cybersecurity leadership
The Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cyber Security (PNG) Limited, Solomon Wesley Sua is the first Papua New Guinean who successfully attained the Certified Ethical Hacker [CEH] v13 certification under the EC-Council Certification program from the EC-Council University in New Mexico, USA.
This is the world’s leading and most recognized ethical hacking credential.
“The CHE certification is formally recognized by the United States Department of Defence [DoD] under DoD 8140 framework which governs cyber workforce qualification, readiness and role-based defence and national security ecosystem.
"These certificates satisfy requirements for many DoD cyber positions including those of military, contractors and government,” Mr Sua said.
For Mr Sua this certification is in addition to his Master of Science in Cyber Security from EC-Council University in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA completed with Summa Cum Laude distinction.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Online Mr Sua said Papua New Guinea has a responsibility to make sure its domestic cyberspace is secure and that of our region.
He said this milestone achievement means PNG can provide Cyber related services in the country and in the region.
“In the fight against Cyber Espionage and Cyber Criminals related activities, collaboration among nations is key, hence PNG can now be a key player in this aspect in the region with global players in sharing intelligence etc. in the common fight against our common adversaries.
“PNG will see a rise in domestic cyber criminals as the country transitions into cloud-powered digital government infrastructure and ecosystem. Government cloud services such as SevisPass, electronic voting systems etc. are needed to be protected and achievements like the CEH will be of critical importance in defending such.” Mr Sua said.
He also highlighted that apart from the CHE v13 certification, he also wants to complete other two certifications.
Mr Sua said the journey it took to achieve this milestone was pretty challenging and excruciating as well as expensive.
“Spending over K10,000.00, reading over 4000+ pages of courseware, numerous sleepless nights, numerous readings and video access with many countless hours. Topping it up with a 4-hour long 125 questions examination,” he said.
He said such achievement qualifies him to work anywhere in the world including the US Department of Defense but he commits to serve PNG.
“Possible to get a job with the US DoD. But I love to serve PNG and defend its Cyber Ecosystem or infrastructure,” he added.
Mr Sua who is a patriotic Papua New Guinean hails from Tambul Nebilyer electorate in the Western Highlands strongly believes that taking this country forward requires brains who can compete with the rest of the world.
“Now working on another first for the Country, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator [CHFI] and Computer Network Defender [CND] training.
“I am also undertaking a Master of Public Health with the United Kingdom's University of Liverpool's School of Medicine and Health Sciences via their Online programs. This study focuses on Digital Health Systems.”
Mr Sua added that he wants to take on the challenges which he believes will sharpen both his academic and professional acumen.
“Like to take challenges and take studies esp. in emerging fields such as Cyber Security, Digital Healthcare, AI and Quantum Computing.”
Mr Sua further reiterates that for many developing nations, cybersecurity capability has historically been imported, and this achievement demonstrates that Papua New Guinea can build, retain, and lead cybersecurity expertise locally, grounded in international standards but tailored to national realities.
He said through his company Cyber Security [PNG] Limited; he looks forward to aligning his services directly with the national vision of building sovereign digital capability, reducing reliance on external responders, and strengthening institutional resilience.