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Cirencester Deer Park School

Cirencester Deer Park School

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Cyber Roadshow

Year 8 facing cyber security challenges.

Cyber Security Challenge UK, the South West Regional Cyber Crime Unit (RCCU), the MOD and Computing at School (CAS) are taking cyber security on the road this Spring with a brand-new national Cyber Roadshow and they visited Deer Park on Tuesday 13 March 2018.

Our visitors ran a range of activities linked to cyber security for over 60 of our Year 8 pupils. As well as learning about the law, pupils had the opportunity to discuss possible careers for those with skills and an interest in this area. They also carried out team problem-solving exercises using binary code and cyphers.

y8 cyber security march 18

y8 cyber security march 18

y8 cyber security march 18

Ailsa wrote the following about her experience:

“At the beginning of the day, we had a small talk about what we would be doing and we divided into three groups that we stayed in throughout the day. The first activity for our group was coding on the computers to find out how you could see what files were on the computers. We used this technique to search for malware.

The second activity was a mini quiz to see what mistakes we could possibly make online and how we might break the law without realising it. We got to see how dangerous some of these could be. We also found out what was illegal and what you can go to prison for.

The final activity was a coding game using binary. I thought this was the most fun as it involved teamwork. Overall, I thought the day was really fun and interesting as I learnt a lot about how dangerous it is making mistakes such as hacking on social media or online."

Our pupils came away from the day feeling more informed about cyber-crime and a few have spoken about an interest in careers in this field. They welcomed the opportunity to hear from and speak with real-life professionals.

There is a selection of interactive games and resources on the Cyber Security Challenge UK mini site www.cybergamesuk.com.

As cyber security becomes more and more important for the future of businesses and the Government, there is a predicted skills gap shortage of 1.8 million by 2022. The Cyber Roadshow was a good introduction for our pupils, encouraging them to consider the skills and pathways they need to get into a cyber security career, as well as giving them knowledge and confidence in protecting their own personal safety online.