New virtual cyber school for teenagers

Thousands of young people are being offered the chance to join a virtual cyber security school as part of plans to make sure the country develops the next generation of professional cyber defenders.

With schools remaining closed for most pupils, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is launching CyberFirst summer courses online, which aim to inspire future talent to work in the cyber security sector and give students a variety of extracurricular activities to do from the safety of their homes.

This can include cracking codes, fixing security flaws and dissecting criminals’ digital trails while progressing through the game as a cyber agent.

The school provides free weekly webinars run by industry experts teaching fundamental security disciplines such as digital forensics, cryptography and operating systems.

Matt Warman, Digital Infrastructure Minister, said: “This new initiative will give teenagers something fun and educational to do from home and provide them with a glimpse into the life of a cyber security professional. We have a world-leading cyber sector which plays a crucial role protecting the country and our digital economy, so it is absolutely vital we continue to inspire the next generation of tech talent to help maintain the UK’s strong position.”

Ciaran Martin, NCSC CEO, added: “Technology is helping us all cope with the coronavirus crisis and is playing an essential role in keeping our businesses moving and our society connected. It has never been more important for our young people to keep engaged and learn how to protect our digital world - and I’m delighted to see our instructor led CyberFirst summer courses made available online.”