British schools to hold code-breaking contests

Schools in Britain may soon conduct competitions to break secret codes, aimed at developing the next generation of cyber security experts, a report said.

Teenagers from 14 to 16 will pit their wits against one another to break secret codes to uncover hidden messages and then write their own, BBC reported.

Schools will score points for coming up with the toughest codes and then have a virtual contest, attempting to crack those of other schools.

The contest is an extension of what is known as the "Cyber Security Challenge", currently in its fourth year and designed to find and encourage people to work in computer security.

The national contest will end with a face-to-face battle between the top performers, with the winners earning 1,000 pounds for their school.

"This latest initiative to introduce children in secondary education to cyber security is an excellent way of bringing talent into this area, helping young people to discover why cyber security matters and inspiring them to take up the profession," Cabinet Office Minister Chloe Smith told BBC.

Stephanie Daman, of Cyber Security Challenge, said securing valuable information was a priority for the country and required an increasing flow of new talented young people into the industry.