Winners crowned for NCSC’s CyberFirst Girls competition

The National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls Competition has crowned its winners for 2023 after 8,700 schoolchildren took part. 

First launched in 2017, the competition sees girls aged 12-13 compete in teams taking on challenges looking at topics such as cryptography and artificial intelligence.

NCSC Deputy Director for Cyber Growth, Chris Ensor, said: ‘The 2023 CyberFirst Girls Competition has been a great success, and I’d like to pay testament to the teachers who have inspired and supported their students throughout and also thank industry partners for their support in making this all possible. 

‘It’s heartening to see so many young people engage with cyber security, and I hope that many of you will pursue a career within the industry and protect the UK from future online threats.’ 

Winners from each regional final will be invited to a prize giving dinner this year where a series of other awards for the best scoring teams and schools will be handed out. 

The full list of winning teams from each region includes: Stirling High School (Scotland), St Joseph’s RC High School, Newport (Wales), Glenlola Collegiate School, Bangor (Northern Ireland), St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, Wigan (North West of England), Durham Johnston Comprehensive, Durham (North East), Sutton Coldfield Grammar School (West Midlands). 

Other winners were: The West Bridgford School, Nottingham (East Midlands), The Highfield School, Letchworth (East of England), Heckmondwike Grammar School (Yorkshire and Humberside), Ribston Hall High School, Gloucester (South West), Nonsuch High School for Girls, Sutton (South East), The Tiffin Girls School (London), Highgate School, London (Independent Schools). 

The NCSC run competition is designed to encourage young girls to pursue an interest in technology and cyber security as women make up only 22% of the digital security workforce. 

Over 65,000 competitors have taken part in the competition since it first began with 209 schools submitting teams in 2023 for the first time and the total number of girls participating rising by 24%. 

Recently a project in Wales to create a hi-tech education facility that could be used by primary school children in the country to learn about new technology was granted funding under the government’s Levelling Up scheme.

Photo: NCSC CyberFirst Girls competition