I think it’s fair to say I did not expect to be running another CyberFirst Girls Competition, but given the overwhelming response and unprecedented amount of positive feedback we received following last year’s competition, we really couldn’t not run it again.
The NCSC has been working hard to get more young people interested in a career within cyber security using a plethora of opportunities under the CyberFirst banner. The Girls Competition is just one of them, and allows teams of school girls to compete in fun online cyber security challenges.
Once again, the competition is a team event, with each made up from four female students. However, this year the competition is only open to girls in year 8 in England and Wales, S2 in Scotland and year 9 in Northern Ireland. We know there will be many disappointed young ladies out there, but since this year group have yet to take their options, we’re hoping that participants who enjoy the competition are encouraged to consider choosing computer science, maths or other STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects as an option.
The competition will be the same format as 2017, consisting of two distinct phases:
- an online ‘qualifying round’ to identify the top ten teams
- the ‘Grand Final’, where the top ten teams will tackle a real-world scenario at a location in Manchester
Whatever the girls’ ability – from beginner to expert – they’ll definitely learn something new about cyber security.
Schools can register and enter their teams at the official CyberFirst Girls Competition website from 12pm today (Tuesday 16th January) so tell your friends and start building your team today!
Sian G
CyberFirst Market Development and Girls Competition Lead
—
If you’re interested in entering the Girls Competition, or just fancy a challenge then head over to our CyberFirst puzzles page!
Source: National Cyber Security Centre
