A national competition aimed at introducing 12/13-year-old girls to the world of cyber security and inspiring them to consider careers in this industry.
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is the NCSC’s flagship cyber security contest for schools, which opens annually to girls across the UK.
Schools can enter as many teams as they like so long as they meet the eligibility criteria.
Each team can have up to 4 female students, from Year 8 in England and Wales, Year 9 in Northern Ireland and S2 in Scotland.
For more information, please click the button below to go to the NCSC CyberFirst Girls Competition website.
What do teachers have to do?
It is really easy for schools to get involved - Teams just need a responsible adult aged over 18 years, appointed by the school as a team guardian.
Most importantly, team guardians do not need to have any cyber knowledge or be IT or computer science teachers.
Team guardians cannot help participants solve any challenges during the competition. The team guardian's role is only to register the participants and facilitate access to the competition.
Click the button below to see exactly how simple it is for team guardians to get teams registered and ready to compete on the competition platform.
Challenges suitable for all abilities
Whatever your students' abilities, from beginner to expert, the CyberFirst Girls Competition is an opportunity to learn something new about cyber security.
The content for each category of the competition is consistent with subjects within the Computer Science syllabus from both the National Curriculum and Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence.
However, the competition will contain some advanced cyber topics that are not covered in traditional education but will seek to stretch the lateral thinking and additional cyber knowledge of the teams.
Get a head start and check out the CyberFirst Girls Competition Resources at the bottom of this page. We've even shared some of the content used at previous CyberFirst Girls Competition events!
Registration for the CyberFirst Girls Competition is opening on 25th September 2023 - click 'Sign Up' to find out more about how your school can get involved and register your teams. Whatever your ability, from beginner to expert, the CyberFirst Girls Competition is an opportunity to learn something new and support girls interested in a career in cyber security. The Competition will run for 10 days from midday to midday.
When:20 November 2023 - 29 November 2023
Duration:10 Days
Who is it for:Teams of up to 4 female students in Y8, S2 or Y9 (NI)
Delivery:Online
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CyberFirst Girls Competition Resources
The CyberFirst Girls Competition is the NCSC’s flagship cyber security contest for schools, which opens annually to girls across the UK, aimed at introducing 12/13-year-old girls to the world of cyber security and inspiring them to consider careers in this industry. Here you will be able to access content and challenges from previous competitions.
Puzzlebook.22 (pdf)
Knowledge Nuggets - CyberFirst, NCSC
These knowledge nuggets were created for NCSC's Empower Cyber Week. Each knowledge nugget covers a different cyber topic and has an associated video and activity. The content is aimed at 12-13 year olds but is suitable for students in KS3 or higher.
CyberChef Tutorial Video (video)
Knowledge Nugget 1: Being Cyber Aware (video)
Knowledge Nugget 1: Being Cyber Aware - Teacher Pack (link)