School pupils build real-world cyber skills through national CyberFirst programme

Young people from across North East Scotland took part in a week-long programme of cyber security training

Abertay University has helped school pupils develop real-world cyber security skills after being selected as the only Scottish venue to deliver the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Advanced programme. 

Senior school pupils aged 16 and 17 from Perth and Kinross, Fife, Aberdeen, Dundee and Angus attended the week-long programme at Abertay, gaining hands-on experience in cyber security while exploring future study and career opportunities in the sector. 

Delivered by defence and security company QinetiQ in partnership with NCSC, CyberFirst Advanced is designed to inspire the next generation of cyber professionals and equip participants with practical technical skills. 

Students took part in sessions covering encryption technologies, digital forensics, cyber investigations, Open Source Intelligence gathering and penetration testing. They also heard from guest speakers, including representatives from the Scottish Government and the NCSC, who shared insights into the range of careers available in cyber security. 

Jamie O'Hare, Lecturer in Ethical Hacking at Abertay, said: 

Programmes like CyberFirst Advanced play a vital role in building the next generation of cyber security professionals by giving young people the opportunity to develop practical, real-world skills in a supportive and engaging environment. It has been fantastic to welcome students from across Perth & Kinross, Fife, Aberdeen, Dundee and Angus to Abertay this week and see their enthusiasm for cyber security firsthand. Through initiatives like this, we can help young people understand the breadth of opportunities available in the sector and inspire them to consider future study and careers in an industry that is increasingly important to Scotland and the wider UK. 

Abertay was one of 11 venues across the UK selected to host the programme, reflecting the University's long-standing reputation for excellence in cyber security education and its commitment to developing future digital talent. The University is recognised by the NCSC as a Gold Academic Centre of Excellence in Cyber Security Education and is home to the Abertay cyberQuarter research and innovation hub.

James Willis, Chief Executive Officer, UK Intelligence, QinetiQ, said: 

As demand for cyber security expertise continues to grow, initiatives such as CyberFirst play an important role in building a diverse pipeline of talent and strengthening the UK’s future cyber resilience. Our cyber experts have firsthand experience of protecting a range of partners against complex threats across the globe and so understand just how important it is to inspire future generations into the industry." 

Chris Ensor, Deputy Director for National Resilience Capabilities at the NCSC, said: 

We are delighted to support QinetiQ who are delivering the CyberFirst Advanced learning content in collaboration with 10 NCSC Academic Centres of Excellence for Education. This partnership with industry and academia marks another important step in expanding access to high-quality cyber security education, benefiting even more students across the UK. Inspiring the next generation of cyber talent is vital to the UK’s digital future, and we look forward to the continued broadening of access to these resources through the TechFirst programme.