Scottish university and college students took on the role of senior government policy advisors in a simulated cyber-attack scenario as part of an annual competition organised by the Atlantic Council, the Washington, DC-based foreign policy think tank.

For the third consecutive year, Abertay University’s cyberQuarter hosted the Cyber 9/12 Strategy Challenge, where students were tasked with leading decision making and crisis management in response to a major cyber incident.

The competition is designed to give students from diverse academic backgrounds a deeper understanding of the complex policy and strategic challenges involved in navigating trade-offs during a cyber crisis.

Combining interactive learning with competitive scenario exercises, it pushes students to react to a dynamic, realistic scenario, analyse threats to international, national, and private sector interests, and offer recommendations for the most effective actions to mitigate the crisis.

This year’s competition, held online for the first time, featured teams from Abertay University, the University of Glasgow, the University of Stirling, Strathclyde University, the University of Edinburgh, Dundee and Angus College, and Fife College.

The “NULL SEC” team from Dundee and Angus college claimed the top prize, while two teams from the University of Glasgow secured the runner-up and third place positions.

Senior cybersecurity professionals from Microsoft, Adobe, Europol, and Evalian Limited were among the judging panels assessing the students’ performance.

The event was sponsored by DigiTay, the Tay Cities Digital Skills Project which is part of the £20 million Regional Skills and Employability Development Programme, funded by the Scottish and UK governments through the Tay Cities Region Deal.

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The Scottish government’s higher and further education minister Graeme Dey said: “Congratulations to Dundee and Angus College and to all the participants who made this year’s Cyber 9/12 challenge such a success.

“The Scottish Government is aware of the challenges that growing digital technologies can present, which is why it is so important to inspire the next generation of cyber security professionals.

“Competitions like this will help ensure that Scotland is a digitally secure and resilient nation.”

Professor Lynne Coventry, director of the cyberQuarter, also commented: “This kind of collaboration between industry and academia lies at the core of Abertay cyberQuarter’s mission.

“The innovative perspectives and lateral thinking presented by the students have truly invigorated the competition and inspired our judging panel.

“It is crucial for Scotland to continually seek out fresh and innovative methods to advance cybersecurity, develop new strategies for the sector, and create job opportunities within the industry, all while enhancing the country’s overall cyber resilience.”