Aylesbury schoolgirls advance to finals of cyber security competition

Schoolgirls from two Aylesbury institutions will compete at the regional finals of a cyber security competition this weekend.

Tomorrow (4 February), representatives from Aylesbury High School will compete in the CyberFirst Girls Competition finals for the South East.

Girls aged 12 to 13 will put their cyber security skills to the test in a bid to be crowned the UK champions.

Now in its seventh year, the CyberFirst Girls Competition is a crucial part of the NCSC’s commitment to bring greater diversity to the cyber industry. At present, women make up just 22% of the sector; something the competition aims to change by introducing schoolgirls to the possibility of a career in cyber.

The South East final is one of thirteen taking place this week across the UK in a culmination of the annual competition which seeks to inspire more women to pursue cyber careers.

Finalists from 11 state schools will compete in Fareham, working together in teams to crack cyber-related puzzles on everything from artificial intelligence to cryptography and logic.

To have made it this far the girls had to see off stiff opposition in an online qualifying round.

Chris Ensor, NCSC deputy director for cyber growth, said: “This week girls across the South East are preparing to compete in the final of the CyberFirst Girls Competition. To have reached this stage is an amazing achievement and we wish all of them the best of luck.

"The UK’s cyber industry is growing rapidly, but it needs better female representation – that’s why we're committed to uncovering cyber talent and improving opportunities.

"I hope that for many of the girls, this is just the start of their journey into cyber security."

The schools taking part in the South East final were the highest scoring in the online qualifying round in November. The finalists are:

-Tonbridge Grammar School

-Aylesbury High School

-Nonsuch High School for Girls

-Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School

-Guildford County School

-The Piggott School

-Tunbridge Wells Girls’ Grammar School

-Herschel Grammar School

-Dr Challoner’s High School

-Langtree School

-Royal Latin School

Winners will be announced on the NSCS’s social media page here at around 4pm, more information can also be found online.