The Government has launched a Virtual Cyber School to encourage teenagers to begin developing skills in cyber security.
The initiative has been put together by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
It enables teenagers to learn how to crack codes, fix security flaws and dissect criminals’ digital trails while progressing through a game as a cyber agency.
The Virtual Cyber School will also provide free weekly webinars run by industry experts on fundamental security disciplines such as digital forensics, cryptography and operating systems.
Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman 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.”
The Government has also announced a number of online training courses, including the NCSC’s CyberFirst programme, to enable 14-17-year-olds to develop cyber skills.
In addition, teenagers will be able to access the NCA and Cyber Security Challenge UK’s CyberLand cyber skills platform for free during the coming months. It is a game designed to teach them the principles of cyber security.
Image from iStock, Matejmo
