The government-backed cybersecurity training programme Cyber Discovery has returned for its third year.
The scheme – delivered by SANS institute for the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS) – aims to inspire teenagers to pursue a career in the industry.
This year the programme will welcome students as young as 13 for the first time.
Over 46,000 young people aged between 14 and 18 have taken part in the Cyber Discovery programme over the past two years. The scheme uses an online game platform with hundreds of hours of challenges and teaching to educate teenagers about cybersecurity skills.
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Cyber Discovery was launched as part of the UK’s £1.9bn National Cyber Security Strategy and sits within the CyberFirst portfolio of skills development initiatives.
Participants will learn about a range of disciplines including digital forensics, penetration testing, defending against web attacks, cryptography and ethics.
The current inability to find enough skilled people needed to secure our world’s future technology and data is a really scary prospect.
– James Lyne, SANS Institute
Cybersecurity minister Nigel Adams said: “Our tech sector is one of the UK’s greatest strengths but to support its continued success we need a skilled and diverse workforce. Cyber Discovery has already inspired thousands of young people to think about a career in the cyber industry and I hope this year’s students will also have fun learning about the opportunities on offer.”
James Lyne, chief technical officer at SANS Institute and one of the creators of the programme, said: “I have been amazed by the level of young talent coming out of the Cyber Discovery programme – and so excited for the launch of year 3, with even more students learning about the fascinating arena of cyber security.
“The current inability to find enough skilled people needed to secure our world’s future technology and data is a really scary prospect. With all the technology controlling our utilities, financial markets, business data and even our homes we desperately need to make sure our future cyber defenders are trained and ready to thwart the cyber criminals.”
Registration and completion of the first assessment phase closes on 25th October 2019.