NCSC launches CyberFirst Girls Competition - aims to boost female representation in cyber security

Women make up just eight per cent of the cyber workforce in the UK

The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has made a final call for entrants to its CyberFirst Girls Competition, which this year will be virtual because of the pandemic.

The competition will begin on Monday 25th January, with registrations open until then. The NCSC - the cyber arm of GCHQ - says hundreds of schools have already entered the contest, which puts the skills of schoolgirls in Year 8 in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland, and Year 9 in Northern Ireland in areas such as logic, networking and cryptography to the test. Last year about 12,000 girls took part.

The competition aims to encourage more girls to follow their interests in cyber security, a field where women are seriously under-represented. In 2017, the year the CyberFirst Girls Competition was launched, a study found that women make up just eight per cent of cyber security professionals in the UK.

While the content of the completion is largely in line with subjects taught in the school syllabus, it also includes some more advanced topics designed to test lateral thinking and more advanced knowledge of the subject.

The competition consists of three phases: an online qualifying round to identify the top teams in each home nation and English region; the semi-final where teams will battle it out in their areas; and the grand final on 26th April where the top ten teams in each region will compete for the title. Teams consist of up to four students.

Chris Ensor, NCSC deputy director for cyber growth, said: "The CyberFirst Girls Competition is a really exciting opportunity for young people to find out more about the world of cyber security and have some fun along the way."

Matt Warman, digital infrastructure minister, added: "The cyber security sector is booming and needs to develop the next generation of talented people, so it is brilliant to see the CyberFirst Girls Competition inspiring pupils to pursue an exciting career in the industry."