‘Dedaub’ hired two of the arrested students and is covering legal fees

Apr 13 2023

In a tweet announcing this, the company said that it independently verified the students acted responsibly before providing support.

The story of four computer science students made the headlines yesterday after Times of Malta published an article about what had happened late last year.

The UOM students are being investigated by the police after they found and highlighted a security weakness in the student application, ‘FreeHour.’

Allegedly, Giorgio Grigolo, Michael Debono, Luke Bjorn Scerri and Luke Collins were scanning through the software of the app when they found a vulnerability they say could be exploited by malicious hackers.

Dedaub, who hired two of the boys and is covering all legal fees, is a leading company in the smart contract security and auditing space, providing solutions to address security problems. The company’s founders and auditors have a strong academic research background combined with real-world hacking experience to secure code.

Dedaub’s expertise in program analysis, reverse engineering, DeFi exploits, and cryptography has attracted prominent customers such as the Ethereum Foundation and Chainlink. Their foundational analysis tools and deep expertise have made them a go-to company for securing code.

The company has performed over 100 audits for leading DeFi protocols and has even white-hat hacked prominent protocols with billions in TVL. They specialise in complex economic attacks and are the first to identify these issues.

Times of Malta reported that the students emailed their findings to FreeHour and asked for a reward for spotting the mistake. The University of Malta students were later arrested, strip-searched and had their computer equipment seized.

Reacting to the news, FreeHour’s Founder and CEO Zach Ciappara posted a video on Instagram addressing what he referred to as “misleading headlines regarding the students under investigation over security vulnerability on the FreeHour App.”

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The cultural programme for the traditional feast of St Gregory returns

Apr 13 2023

After an absence of three years, a cultural programme for the traditional feast of St Gregory has been announced.

The events will be organised by the Culture Directorate, which will now be responsible for the cultural aspect of the organisation of the festivities.

The programme, which was announced at a press conference in Żejtun, will focus on the traditional dimension of the feast, which is believed to have been celebrated for the first time in the year 1543.

Traditionally, this feast, apart from its religious aspect, is known for its connection to the first swim that occurs on the first Wednesday after Easter.

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“Classified” – The latest feature film shooting in Malta starring Tim Roth and Aaron Eckhart

Apr 13 2023

“Classified” is a 95-minute feature film that has chosen Malta as its home for 100% of its production. This production will generate over €5.3 million into the economy.

The production is employing over 109 crew of which approximately 79% are locals. The film will shoot in Malta for 20 days, and will feature Tim Roth and Aaron Eckhart as main cast.

Malta Film Commissioner Johann Grech remarked how the Malta Film Commission’s plan is working. “This is the 5th international production filming in Malta over a span of 4 months. With more Maltese and Gozitans working in films, it means that our country can attract more productions.” Grech said. His final remarks showed his determination to create more success for the film industry and for Malta at large.

“Having another foreign production filming in Malta is proving to be another encouraging step forward in our efforts to build a local world class filming industry. Our plan remains that of investing more to improve Malta’s competitive edge in the filming world for the months and years to come,” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo.

Executive Producer Gabriel Georgiev said, “It is my first film project in Malta and will definitely not be the last”. He added, “We are already in talks to bring another production to Malta next year. Malta’s proposition is a solid one and the versatile locations, the amazing crew base, together with the cash rebates offered by the Malta Film Commission make it an attractive offering for film productions coming to shoot in Malta.”

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Malta are you ready for King’s Day?

Apr 13 2023

A dirty threesome between Carnival, a Maltese Festa and St Patrick’s day that is the best way to describe Koningsday (or King’s Day). King’s Day is one of the biggest and most colourful festivities in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April (26 April if the 27th is a Sunday), officially the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander but ask any Dutch how old the King is and they would not know. It is the reason for a massive party and it is a national holiday in the Netherlands.

The Dutch royal family bears the name: Huis van Oranje (House of Orange) And yes that is the reason it has become the national colour of the Netherlands. The reason you see the Dutchies in a sea of Orange during Word cups and other events. Also, the reason you should go and find anything orange you own because you have been invited!

Most towns and cities in the Netherlands have fairground activities and music events lined up, with many kicking off on King’s Day eve, or King’s Night (Koningsnacht), on 26 April. In addition, you will find an array of DJ events and parties held around the Netherlands. Kingsland Festival Amsterdam and Kingsland Festival 538 will feature some top Dutch and international DJ’s. The biggest festival in the Netherlands is organized by Radio 538 and will be visited by 40.000 people. Artists like 2 Brothers On The 4th Floor, Afrojack, Armin van Buuren, Davina Michelle, Paul Elstak and many more will perform. During Dutch King’s Day, the Malta edition, we will be able to see and hear them all, via direct livestream! Be ready to be on Dutch national TV as we will also be streaming to the Netherlands and worldwide from this event in Malta.

It doesn’t t matter if you are not in the Netherlands this year, this Dutch national holiday is celebrated worldwide by Dutch expats and friends, also in Malta. Do you know any Dutch, you have been to the Netherlands, or you just want to get to know the Dutch community in Malta! NedMalta, the Dutch expat organization, invites you to join this colourful event on the 27th of April in MedAsia Playa. As we will be expecting close to 1000 guests it is wise to buy your ticket beforehand.

Tips for Kingsday:

Wear anything and everything orange that you own.
Be ready to sing and dance, does not matter if you do not know the text. They will teach you!
Get in the Dutch spirit with a kroket, a deep-fried Dutch snack filled with beef. (they are available in Malta and during King’s Day)
If you lose your friends, just make new ones. Way easier!
Take the next day off, if you do not have a hangover, you did not party like the Dutch!

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