Spot the cyber security skills

Cybersecurity abstract
Looking for new people to hold the key

New recruits are being encouraged to get into cyber security through a competition to test their aptitude for the field.

Training provider InfoSec Skills is running the competition in cooperation with the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT, which provides accreditation for a range of different IT skills.

The competition involves a two hour test with 100 questions on the management of three areas of cyber security: information security, business continuity and information risk.

Terry Neal, CEO of InfoSec Skills, told TRPro: "It's open to anybody, and preferably you would need an IT background, maybe equivalent to an undergraduate degree. But it's not focused on specific skills such as digital forensics or penetration testing.

"It's more about the broader skills for cyber security like people management and communication than the techy skills."

Registration for the competition opens on April 12 and the online competitions take part on April 22. The prizes for three top scorers are a five day e-learning course and the official BCS exam.

Adam Thilthorpe, Director of Professionalism at BCS, said: "This is a great innovative approach to raising awareness of the career opportunities in cyber security while giving entrants the opportunity to gain a credible and internationally recognised professional certificate."

The competition is part of the Cyber Security Challenge UK, a programme to identify talent in the field that is backed by more than 50 organisations.