The IT community in Kazakhstan: TSARKA

About the Community

The TSARKA community was established in 2014. Its primary goal is to create a platform for professional networking. Here, anyone can ask questions and discuss news and developments in the field of information security in Kazakhstan, Central Asia, the CIS countries, and around the world.

The second goal is to demonstrate affiliation with the professional community. Members share their achievements and skills, drawing attention to various situations from a cybersecurity perspective.

The third goal is to assist with job hunting, including completing internships during studies, receiving career advice from the community, and helping young professionals define their goals.

Cybersecurity is not a closed topic; it cannot exist independently of the IT market, the national economy, and other factors. Therefore, events occurring both domestically and internationally, as well as conditions affecting the industry's development and its specialists, are also discussed.

Participants

Initially, the participants were experienced cybersecurity professionals. Currently, the community includes professional information security managers, senior and middle management of companies, public figures, officials, and deputy ministers of relevant sectors. The number of participants is growing daily.

Joining the community is easy. It requires subscribing to the Telegram channel. The chat has established standard rules, the main one being respectful treatment of community members and engaging in constructive dialogue.

It is difficult to separate the TSARKA company from the community. Any initiative implemented or supported by the company is disseminated through the community, and most participants come from there. Whatever TSARKA supports, our community also supports. Participants get first access to information.

How the Community Supports Development

Information security always requires practical skills and the ability to search for information, which is considered an important skill for professionals and community members. If newcomers are not initially ready to use these skills or ask questions that have already been discussed and are easily found in search engines, they may not yet be ready to become full members of the group.

However, this all provides opportunities for growth. If a person asks specific questions about their development, they will always receive help. There are those who can answer any question or tell you where to find the information. This is the main path to professional growth.

The actions of community members reflect the sector's attitude toward certain issues.

TSARKA's Current Products and Projects

— BugBounty TUMAR.ONE platform. This is a reward program for identifying vulnerabilities in information systems and resources. We attract independent researchers, also referred to as "white hackers" or "bug hunters," for monetary rewards.

— WEBTOTEM monitoring platform. This is an AI-based personal assistant for web application security.

— USB security token

— Secure smartphone. This involves proprietary software, industrial design, and controlled manufacturing.

— KazHackStan — the annual and largest cybersecurity conference in Central Asia, attracting over 5,000 visitors.

Plans

Among upcoming events, we plan several activities related to searching for "bug hunters" through the TUMAR.ONE program. Additionally, the main event is KazHackStan.