Schoolgirls across the UK are preparing to put their tech skills to the test this week in a bid to be crowned cybersecurity champions by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
The CyberFirst Girls Competition finals will take place simultaneously at 13 venues across the UK on Saturday, with the top-scoring team in each home nation or region being named local champion.
The finalists, aged 12 to 13, will work in teams to crack cyber-related puzzles on everything from artificial intelligence to cryptography and logic in a bid to score the most points.
More than 8,700 girls entered this year’s competition, overtaking last year’s total by 24% and bringing the total to 65,000 girls who have entered since it began in 2017.
By holding finals throughout the UK, the NCSC aims to encourage more young people from more regions to participate. The 2023 competition saw entries from 209 schools who had never taken part before.
Now in its seventh year, the CyberFirst Girls Competition aims to inspire girls to consider pursuing careers in cyber security and change the future of the industry for the better. Currently, female representation in the sector is unacceptably low, with women accounting for just 22% of the UK’s cyber workforce.
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is the NCSC’s flagship cyber security contest for schools, which opens annually to girls in Year 8 in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland, and Year 9 in Northern Ireland.
The finalists are the highest scoring teams from the first round that took place in November, and finals are being held for each of Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and English regions.
The winners will be announced via the NCSC’s social media. They will receive laptops as part of their prize, along with an invitation to a celebration event later in the year.
The CyberFirst programme offers a range of free opportunities aimed at offering young people the skills, opportunities and exposure they need to thrive in cyber security.
Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: “This week girls across the UK are preparing to compete in the finals of the CyberFirst Girls Competition. To have reached this stage is an amazing achievement and we wish all of them the best of luck.
“The UK’s cyber industry is growing rapidly, but it needs better female representation – that’s why we’re committed to uncovering cyber talent and improving opportunities.
“I hope that for many of the girls, this is just the start of their journey into cyber security.”
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GCHQ National Cyber Security Centre NCSC
Post written by: Matt Brown
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