01.05.20
Government launches new virtual cyber school for young people
A new virtual cyber school is offering thousands of young people the opportunity to become the next generation of cyber security experts.
As schools across the country are closed to stop the spread of coronavirus, online learning is playing a vital role in education.
The new initiative aims to inspire talented young people to work in the cyber security sector and provide a variety of extracurricular activities from home, at a time when data protection and cyber security is of the utmost importance.
Skills that will be offered include learning how to crack codes, fix security flaws and dissect criminals’ digital trails, setting teenagers and young people up perfectly for a job in cyber security.
The school provides free weekly webinars from industry experts, covering the fundamentals of the industry including 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.”
It comes as the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) launches its hugely popular CyberFirst summer courses, offered to more than a thousand 14 to 17-year-olds.
NCSC Chief Executive Officer Ciaran Martin said:
“Technology is helping us all cope with the coronavirus crisis and is playing an essential role in keeping our businesses moving and our society connected.
“It has never been more important for our young people to keep engaged and learn how to protect our digital world - and I’m delighted to see our instructor led CyberFirst summer courses made available online.”
The National Crime Agency and Cyber Security Challenge UK are making their online cyber skills platform CyberLand free during the coming months, allowing teenagers to learn key skills during this period of travel restrictions.