UKC3 are a proud recurring partner of the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge. This challenge aims to foster the next generation of cyber security professionals. In a fictional scenario, teams of four university students act as senior government advisors responding to an escalating cyber incident. During the two days of the competition, students are confronted with a challenging and evolving cyber security scenario. Based on the intelligence they are presented with, teams must provide a situation assessment & policy recommendations.
The judging panels, that play the role of senior government decision-makers, consist of a range of cyber security experts across academia, industry and government. In the past, this has included incident management leads, policy advisers, and global CISOs. The competition is the only cross-discipline cyber security student competition of its kind in the UK. Through the competition, students have the opportunity to connect with future employers across the public & private sectors. They are supported by a plethora of organisations providing students with insight into the variety of roles available in cyber.
UKC3 recognises the value of supporting this unique competition, as we work towards a shared goal of building a robust cyber security ecosystem across the UK, developing new ideas, initiatives, and the future generation of cyber professionals. Skills growth is one of UKC3’s key strategic pillars and continuing to partner with the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge is a natural choice towards achieving this.
John Davies MBE, Vice Chair and Director of UKC3, emphasises “The competition is extremely diverse, not just in gender but ethnic background, disadvantaged and neurodiverse. These are values we can all get around and wish that the entire industry approached the nurturing of talent in the same holistic way this competition does. The opportunity to compete in multidisciplinary teams is a reflection of the real world and we are delighted to be involved.”
Robert Black, Director of the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, explains “too often people focus on solely the technical aspects of a cyber incident. However, time and time again, industry & government recognise the need for cyber security leaders who are capable of: dealing with complex situations; skilled in critical analysis, teamwork, effective briefing and many other human-centric skills as well as technological understanding. Our initiative aims to encourage these skills in our student competitors, opening up cyber security to a broad community of university students across the UK, supporting them to explore their potential for a fascinating & exciting career in cyber. As well as meeting with and being inspired by those people currently in leading cyber roles.”
Robert goes on to say, “We rely on the support of sponsors, government champions & partner organisations to help us raise awareness of this initiative and empower students to become the cyber security leaders of the future. It’s fantastic to be working with such a great community of supporters.”
If your organisation would like to support this challenge you can learn more here or contact info@ukcyber912.co.uk
I participated in the UK Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge for three consecutive years as part of WickedCyber. My experience was immensely enjoyable and provided me with the opportunity to develop skills through scenarios that were not covered during my time at university.
The competition fuelled my interest in policy and strategy within cyberspace. Moreover, Cyber 9/12 opened doors to numerous incredible opportunities, greatly benefiting my early career in cybersecurity. It allowed me to network with professionals in the field and attend workshops that played a crucial role in developing the skills necessary for launching my career.
Jenny, Cyber Women Groups C.I.C.
I competed in the UK Cyber 9/12 Challenge for 3 years, and I can safely say the experience is one of a kind. Put into a time-critical scenario that requires you to think logically about protecting several stakeholders, I was able to use the knowledge I gained on my Cyber degree course and put this into a realistic exercise.
The scenarios are in-depth and detailed, specifically designed to put you outside your comfort zone and consider elements of a Cyber response that may be unfamiliar to you. All while testing your ability to communicate your thoughts clearly and precisely to an audience.
I would recommend this competition to any student studying any discipline at university, no matter their previous involvement in Cyber Security. It brings together a diverse range of students for 2 days of learning, networking, and celebrating success, whilst gaining valuable insights into a further career in the industry.
Sophie, Cyber Women Groups C.I.C.
I competed in the UK Cyber 9/12 Challenge for 3 years, and I can safely say the experience is one of a kind. Put into a time-critical scenario that requires you to think logically about protecting several stakeholders, I was able to use the knowledge I gained on my Cyber degree course and put this into a realistic exercise.
The scenarios are in-depth and detailed, specifically designed to put you outside your comfort zone and consider elements of a Cyber response that may be unfamiliar to you. All while testing your ability to communicate your thoughts clearly and precisely to an audience.
I would recommend this competition to any student studying any discipline at university, no matter their previous involvement in Cyber Security. It brings together a diverse range of students for 2 days of learning, networking, and celebrating success, whilst gaining valuable insights into a further career in the industry.
Jack, KPMG
