Capture the talent: secondary school education with cyber security competitions

Recent advances in computing have caused cyber security to become an increasingly critical issue that affects our everyday life. Both young and old in society are exposed to benefits and dangers that accompany technological advance. Cyber security education is a vital part of reducing the risks associated with cyber-threats. This is particularly important for current and future youth, who are the most technology-literate generations. Many research studies and competitions have been undertaken around the world to emphasize and identify the significance of cyber security as a relevant and pressing research area. Cyber security competitions are great means of raising interest in the young generation and attracting them to educational programmes in this area. These competitions show the need for cyber security to be taught as a formal subject in secondary schools to enhance the effectiveness of computer science concepts in cyber space. This paper presents an effective educational approach, justifying such competitions as a means of introducing cyber security as a computer science subject for New Zealand secondary school students, and also presents methods of implementation.