Cyber security jobs news roundup: December 2024
Keep up-to-date with some of the biggest stories in the world of cyber security in our monthly roundup.
We’re rounding up some of the biggest cyber security stories of the past few weeks. In December, groups of girls from the UK were crowned cyber security champions, Brits took on GCHQ’s annual Christmas Challenge, ICS2 launched online cyber security workshops and the UK cyber chief warned risks were being widely underestimated.
UK girls’ teams crowned cyber security champions
Girls representing schools across the UK have triumphed at the 2024 CyberFirst Girls Competition, run by GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). This year, the annual event saw the largest number of participants since it was first held in 2017.
The challenges set by the security professionals include cracking codes, decrypting messages and solving coding puzzles. It’s hoped the contest will inspire young women to pursue careers in cyber fields going forward.
Chris Ensor, deputy director for cyber growth at the NCSC, said: “The growing level of engagement from schools across the UK is great demonstration of breaking barriers and addressing the need for greater female representation in the cyber security industry.”
Brits take on GCHQ Christmas Challenge 2024
Children and adults have attempted GCHQ’s annual Christmas Challenge after the security organisation released 2024’s set of seven puzzles. The focus was the surprising geography of GCHQ, which operates from several sites across the UK including Manchester, London, Scarborough, Bude and its headquarters in Cheltenham.
A variety of problem-solving skills were put to the test in the challenge, which was set by professionals at the organisation. As well as working out the solutions to reveal the final hidden message, there were three additional elements hidden within the card for those who wanted to take on an extra challenge for the first time this year.
Anne Keast-Butler, director of GCHQ, said: “Puzzles have always been at the heart of GCHQ, and the skills needed to solve them are just as relevant in 2024 as they were over 100 years ago. The challenge has been designed for a mix of minds to solve, so is best tackled in groups of classmates, families or friends. Whether you have an analytical mind, a creative brain or prefer engineering, there’s something for everyone.”
ISC2 launches 2025 online cyber security leadership workshops
ISC2 has announced a series of eight-week virtual cyber security leadership workshops to be held throughout 2025 in collaboration with the Cybersecurity Leadership Institute. The programme is designed to enable attendees to develop strategic thinking, business acumen and communication skills essential for becoming more effective cyber security leaders.
Recent research carried out by ISC2 found top qualities of effective cyber security leaders included communication, strategic thinking, open-mindedness, technical expertise and decisiveness. Many participants in the study said they gained such skills through on-the-job experience, as formal training was hard to come by.
Jon France, CISO at ISC2, said: “A well-rounded cyber security leader benefits from structured, proven training pathways as well as practical experience. While informal knowledge-sharing remains valuable, the rapid pace of advancement in the field calls for a stronger emphasis on formal development to prepare today’s leaders and nurture the next generation.”
Cyber chief says UK risk "widely underestimated"
The nation's new cyber security chief has stated that Britain and its allies are competing in a high-stakes contest for cyberspace and that the risk is being widely underestimated in some circles. It was Richard Horne’s first speech as the new head of the NCSC.
He also highlighted the real-world impact of cyber attacks, citing recent examples that have disrupted lives, jeopardised safety and eroded trust in the online world, and pointed to Russia and China as particularly significant threats. He used his speech to urge organisations to collectively boost resilience by following NCSC advice.
Mr Horne said: “What has struck me more forcefully than anything else since taking the helm at the NCSC is the clearly widening gap between the exposure and threat we face, and the defences that are in place to protect us. And what is equally clear to me is that we all need to increase the pace we are working at to keep ahead of our adversaries.”