Diversion of Young Hackers Towards Cyber Career Pathways via Cooperative Initiatives
The Co-op, a leading supermarket chain in the UK, has announced a partnership with The Hacking Games, an organisation known for its capture the flag events and other initiatives that inspire neurodivergent young people into ethical cyber careers. This partnership, aimed at guiding young talent towards ethical work and reducing risk, comes in the wake of a ransomware attack that affected the Co-op and several other retailers. The attack, known as DragonForce, resulted in data loss for 6.5 million Co-op members and caused operational disruption that affected some Co-op stores for weeks. The Co-op views this partnership as a proactive measure to tackle cyber threats. The collaboration, led by an independent research study initiated by Oxford University professor Jonathan Lusthaus, focuses on prevention, early intervention, and awareness raising. The study is being overseen by another Oxford University professor, Tamsin Mather. The goal of this partnership is to develop a program that could potentially be rolled out nationwide, focusing on earlier engagement and targeted student and parent training. This program aims to capitalise on The Hacking Games' experience in capture the flag and other events to inspire neurodivergent young people into ethical cyber careers. The UK is in need of more cyber talent, with over 70,000 more professionals needed to fill the gap between supply and demand, according to the ISC2. With over 50% of tech employees self-identifying as neurodivergent, this partnership could play a significant role in addressing this shortage. The findings of the study will be used in a pilot within the Co-op Academies Trust, supporting 20,000 students across dozens of schools. The ultimate aim is to have a positive impact on society, not just the Co-op, by nurturing the next generation of ethical cyber professionals. Shirine Khoury-Haq, the CEO of the Co-op group, expressed her excitement about the partnership, stating, "We're thrilled to be working with The Hacking Games to identify and nurture cyber talent. This partnership is about more than just protecting our business; it's about making a positive impact on society." With cybercrime on the rise, particularly among European teenagers, with 69% reportedly committing some form of cybercrime or online offense, initiatives like this partnership between the Co-op and The Hacking Games are crucial in the fight against cyber threats.
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