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Schoolgirl codebreakers enter national contest in record numbers

Record numbers of schoolgirls are coming forward to pitch their codebreaking skills against each other in the UK’s flagship cyber security competition, run by the National Cyber Security Centre
Competitors for the Cyber First competition 2019 launched by the National Cyber Security Centre sat on steps

With just days to go until the NCSC’s CyberFirst Girls Competition opens, figures show a new high in registrations for the time of year – 520 schools this year compared to 406 at the same time in 2019.

The competition, which was created to boost female interest in cyber security, sees girls aged 12 and 13 competing to crack a series of over 100 online puzzles and challenges. This year’s competition is bigger than ever, with an online round, then 18 regional and national finals followed by a UK final.

The NCSC, which is a part of GCHQ, launched the competition in 2017 with the aim of developing the next generation of cyber security professionals and encouraging more women in particular to consider a future career in the industry. So far more than 24,000 girls have taken part.

The NCSC released the figures as the final dash for registration takes place ahead of the competition’s online round opening on Monday 13th January.

For more information and to register, visit the NCSC website.

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