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The next generation of cyber experts have put their digital skills to the test at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) as part of a nationwide contest. 

Girls from ten schools across the East Midlands battled it out at the final of the CyberFirst Girls Competition which is run by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of GCHQ. 

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51Âþ»­, which is renowned for its Cyber Technology Institute, recognised as an Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Research by the NCSC, was the venue for the East Midlands final, where Caistor Grammar School, Caistor, was declared the winner. 

Working in teams, the youngsters tackled cyber-related puzzles covering topics from networking and AI to cryptography and logic in a bid to score the most points. 

For the 2022 competition the NCSC ran a new format aimed at encouraging new entrants from every part of the UK, with 13 finals taking place across the country, including the East Midlands. 

Hundreds of schools signed up this year, with state schools that had never entered before making up more than 25% of the total. This contributed to an overall increase in the proportion of state schools compared with last year.  

 Now in its sixth year, the CyberFirst Girls Competition aims to inspire girls aged 12 to 13 to consider pursuing careers in cyber security as female representation in the sector is too low, with women accounting for just 16% of the UK’s cyber workforce.  

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, said: 

“Congratulations to all the girls who took part in this year’s final of the CyberFirst Girls Competition in the East Midlands – and a special well done to Caistor Grammar School for their success on the day.  

“The UK’s growing cyber security industry needs more female representation so it’s great to see thousands of girls nationwide taking part in the contest, many for the first time.  

“I thank 51Âþ»­ Leicester and teachers for their work helping us uncover new cyber talent and I hope for many of the girls this will be just the start of their interest in this area. 

The NCSC said more than 7,000 pupils took part in this year’s competition – overtaking last year’s total – and adding to the tens of thousands of girls who have entered since the contest launched in 2017.   

The schools taking part in the East Midlands final were the highest scoring in the online qualifying round in December.