Minister for Security Declares Cyber Security Challenge UK Open
The UK's first national hunt for future cyber security professionals launches today in central London
The Cyber Security Challenge UK is a series of online and face-to-face competitions designed by leading security, education and government organisations as a response to the worrying shortage of skilled professionals in the cyber security sector, and the growing challenge of how to increase the resilience of the UK's online presence with our existing human resources.
The Challenge will identify the most talented individuals in the country capable of becoming our first line of defence against cyber attacks now and in the future. It will excite and inspire participants to consider a career as a cyber security professional. The very latest technologies will be employed to test the mettle of everyone from teenagers to IT professionals.
More than 30 prizes are on offer for successful candidates. All have been selected for their ability to help winners progress career opportunities in the cyber security profession. They include
• Bursaries for university courses – eg £3,300 funding towards an MSc Electronics & Security, Queen's University, Belfast
• Places on top private-sector training courses – eg A two week placement on Detica Cyber Security Academy, places on Sans Institute training courses
• Access to professional expertise and resources – eg opportunities to use the CREST penetration testing rig
• Memberships of professional bodies – eg annual membership of the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP), the British Computer Society (BCS), and the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA).
From this morning, anyone interested in cyber security can register online to participate in the 2010 Challenge and have a chance to be crowned the UK's Cyber Security Champion at www.cybersecuritychallenge.org.uk.
