YOUNGSTERS at Johnstone High are training to be cyber security experts as part of a new pilot project.
The school is one of just six across the country to be chosen for the Skills Development Scotland initiative, which aims to raise awareness about careers in cyber security.
Industry specialists from investment bank Morgan Stanley are visiting the school to help pupils develop their ‘ethical hacking’ skills.
The cyber experts will work with teachers to deliver a co-created lesson that talks the children through the process of ethically hacking a fictional airline in a virtual environment.
Pupils will learn to perform reconnaissance of the airline’s digital footprint, use collected intelligence to perform a social engineering attack and run a penetration test, which involves checking computer systems for exploitable vulnerabilities.
Corey Brooks, computing studies teacher at Johnstone High, said: “The programme will provide a real-world example to pupils about what cyber security is and how the experts go about their daily business.
“Cyber security is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the world and digital skills is one of the biggest industries, so they will be learning vital skills for an industry where there is a skill gap.
“This is the third year we’ve done the NPA (National Progression Award) in Cyber Security qualification and the pupils are really excited to meet professionals in the industry.
“The industry provides fantastic and very well-paid jobs, so they’ll get to see what it is all about and the opportunities available to them.”
Khalid Rafiq, Glasgow-based head of technology at Morgan Stanley, added: “We’re excited to share our technical expertise, passion and experience to open the door into the world of cyber for the young people in the pilot.
“Partnering with schools and teachers helps to foster the talent pipeline and encourages students to participate in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) studies, while giving us the opportunity to develop new skills and give back to the local community.”
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