Help GCHQ inspire cyber-capable young women in your local area.

Registration for the 2019 CyberFirst Girls Competition opens at midday on Monday 10 December, as GCHQ"s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) looks to crown the next female code-breaking champions.

Currently, women make up only 11% of the global cyber workforce. However, the NCSC are committed to developing a talent pipeline to nurture the next generation of skilled cyber security professionals. They hope their exciting national competition will spark a lifelong interest in the girls, that could be turned into a fulfilling career in cyber security. It is an opportunity for the girls to gain cyber skills, solve problems, work as a team and have fun with friends!

• Registration opens at midday on Monday 10 December. From that moment, a registration button will appear at: www.cyberfirst.ncsc.gov.uk/girlscompetition

• Teachers, of any subject, can enter a team (of up to 4) girls. A school can enter as many teams as they wish.
• Neither the students, nor the teacher that enters a team/acts as the team guardian, need to have specialist IT skills to enter the competition.
• It is really easy to register a team, following some simple steps available at the above address.
• The competition begins with a week-long online round on Monday 21 January 2019, during which the teams attempt to complete a series of challenges.
• Registration closes on Monday 28 January 2019, so schools can enter teams during the online round (albeit with less time to then complete the challenges).
• The top ten teams will compete in a face-to-face Grand Final in Edinburgh on 24-25 March. In addition to the challenges, the finalists get to enjoy a series of fun activities. Winners will receive £1,000 toward school computing equipment as well as individual prizes. Take a look at the highlights video from last year"s final:

What others have said:

"I really enjoyed how the competition story fitted together and was set out like a realistic cyber attack. The challenges covered skills in computing you wouldn"t ordinarily come across at school." Odette, a school student from Gloucestershire

"The competition taught me and my team-mates a lot and I think I'd now like to do computing for GCSEs." Anna-rose, a school student from Amagh, NI

"I never would have entered the competition because it wasn't something I was interested in, but then I did it and realised how vast cyber security is and all the different things you can do with that knowledge." Neve, a school student from Kent

The UK faces a cyber threat that is large, growing and diverse and at the NCSC we are committed to nurturing the next generation of skilled professionals from across the UK to meet these challenges. Through CyberFirst, we also want to help young people develop skills that lead to dynamic and rewarding careers. I really hope the girls in your area are excited by this competition and that it leads to an interest in this vital subject!