CyberFirst Girls Competition finalists meet world leaders

4 Dec 2019 11:43 AM

Senior NATO officials meet one of the top teams at No 10 reception.

• Team from The Tiffin Girls’ School in London invited to NATO reception following success in this year’s CyberFirst Girls Competition
• Pupils tell world leaders about their experience of the competition as registration for the 2020 event opens
• UK-wide competition from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) aims to encourage more girls to consider a career in cyber security

A GROUP of girls who were among the country’s top performers in a flagship cyber security competition for schools have met world leaders and senior NATO officials at a Downing Street reception.

The pupils from The Tiffin Girls’ School in Kingston-upon-Thames, South West London, were invited to the prestigious event after reaching the final of the National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls Competition earlier this year.

The four girls spoke to the special guests at No 10 about the challenges they took on during the competition, which aims to nurture the next generation of cyber security professionals, encouraging more young women and girls to consider a future career in the industry.

The reception – which was part of a series of events being held in the UK to mark the 70th anniversary of NATO – came after registration opened for the CyberFirst Girls Competition 2020.

This year’s competition will take on an exciting new format, with semi-finals throughout the UK in a bid to discover even more new talent across the country.

Chris Ensor, NCSC Deputy Director for Skills and Growth, said:

“It was fantastic to see the CyberFirst Girls Competition showcased in front of NATO and world leaders, and to have such excellent representatives in The Tiffin Girls’ School team.

“Registration is now open for the 2020 competition, and I would encourage even more teams across the UK to follow in the Tiffin Girls' footsteps and take part in this fun and challenging contest.”

The Tiffin Girls' School was one of 10 teams to reach the final in Edinburgh this year after taking part in a series of online cyber security focused puzzles and challenges.

Registration for the 2020 CyberFirst Girls Competition is now open to girls from Year 8 (England and Wales), Year 9 (Northern Ireland) and S2 (Scotland), and will close on 22 January 2020.

The highest scoring teams from the opening round will go through to the semi-finals, taking place on 8 February in Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and in the North, Midlands, South West, and South East regions of England and in London. The final takes place on 15 and 16 March in Wales.

Schools can register at https://girlscompetition.cyberfirst.ncsc.gov.uk/