137 schools from across England went head-to-head in this year’s Cyber Explorers Cup. From Poole to Durham, the free government-led competition attracted 2,000 English secondary school students and home-educated learners.
Now England’s top young cyber talent has been announced. This year’s English winners were St Gabriel’s High School in Bury.
To win gold St Gabriel’s team ‘Gabs’ had to tackle a series of interactive problems designed to find digital “flags”, decoding encrypted messages, investigating digital crime scenes and battling to secure networks under pressure. They tested their knowledge in digital forensics, encryption and secure communications, and explored ways they could apply cyber security concepts into real-life scenarios.
Minister for Digital Skills Liz Lloyd said: “These brilliant young minds aren’t just learning about cyber security, they’re already thinking and working like the tech professionals who will shape our world.
“The Cyber Explorers Cup proves that the next generation of digital innovators is ready and waiting. Through TechFirst, we’re building a pipeline of talent that will keep Britain at the cutting edge of technology, from the classroom all the way to the careers of the future.”
St Gabriel’s High School will now receive a £2,000 tech voucher and a Cyber Explorers assembly to spend on new technology from computers to 3D printers, to help students at the school continue their tech skills journey.
One student from St Gabriels High School said: “Winning the competition felt both exciting and surreal. At first, it was hard to believe that all the effort had paid off, especially because of how strong the competition was.
“Speaking with the people from Cyber Explorers at school was inspiring and eye-opening. They talked about the growing importance of cyber security and the different career paths available in the field. One of the speakers explained complex ideas in a simple way and encouraged us to keep developing our skills. It made me realise that people working in the tech industry can be approachable, knowledgeable and memorable.”
