Last chance to enter codebreaking competition

January 17, 2020 at 6:05 pm

SCHOOLS across Scotland are being urged to sign up for the UK’s flagship cyber security competition for girls.

Schools are being encouraged to enter a national codebreaking competition.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls Competition will put teams of girls aged between 12 and 13 to the test, with the chance to be crowned champion codebreakers in the country.

The last chance to enter is drawing near, as schools have until Tuesday January to sign up for the competition.

The contest, which aims to boost female interest in cyber security, sees participants compete to decipher a series of over 100 online puzzles and challenges on topics ranging from logic and cryptography to network and online safety.

Teams that successfully navigate the online round will qualify for the final – held at a venue in Glasgow – on the February 8. The champions will then move on to the Grand Final in Wales in March, where they will face off against seven other regions and countries to be crowned national champions.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Skills and Growth, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young girls engaging with the cryptic challenges that we’ve set, and I’m encouraged to see the large spread of schools from all corners of the UK taking part.

“There is still time for schools to get involved, and I strongly urge those who haven’t registered to head to the CyberFirst website and give themselves the chance to be crowned local and even UK champions.”

To find out more, you can visit www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/girls-competition