Yesterday, pupils from Inverness Royal Academy, Tain Royal Academy and Grantown Grammar participated in a cybersecurity skills event as part of Skills Development Scotland’s (SDS) Cyber Skills Programme.

The purpose of the event was to shine a light on cyber security and raise awareness of the plentiful career opportunities in the digital sector.

Claire Gillespie, Key Sector Manager for digital skills at SDS, said: “Cybersecurity has a significant place in today’s digital world and this will continue to be the case for many years to come. As a result, it’s absolutely critical that we educate and encourage our younger generations to consider a career in this exciting, fast-moving sector. Engaging, interactive events such as this one are a fantastic way of bringing the sector to life, while showcasing the endless career possibilities and opportunities that cyber security has to offer.”

Challenging and Fun Workshops

On the day, two separate workshops were held, the first allowed the students to experience the role of a Forensic Computer Analyst as they were tasked with deciphering top-secret messages like the world-famous Enigma machine. The second workshop, which was hosted by Police Scotland, provided the pupils with advice about online safety while showcasing the varied and exciting cyber-crime-fighting opportunities available within the police force.

Sergeant Steve Gillies and Constable Gordon MacDonald of the Safer Communities Cyber Crime Prevention team delivered the workshop on behalf of Police Scotland.

Sergeant Gillies said: “We are delighted to have been invited to participate in such an exciting event. We hope we’ve enthused and encouraged the next generation into careers in the cyber industry. This was a great opportunity to provide advice and guidance on the subject of social media and how to protect yourself and keep safe online.”