Youngsters urged to enrol at new Virtual Cyber School

The initiative, which follows the launch of the Government-backed Skills Toolkit earler this week, has been devised by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), the National Crime Agency (NCA) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).

The programme is designed to enable 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 security disciplines such as digital forensics, cryptography and operating systems.

Meanwhile, the Government has also set up a number of online training courses, including the NCSC’s CyberFirst programme, to enable 14- to 17-year-olds to develop their skills, while they will also be able to access the NCA and Cyber Security Challenge UK’s CyberLand cyber skills platform for free during the coming months.

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.”