Talented young pupils from across the region put their cyber skills to the test as part of a competition created by the Yorkshire and Humber Regional Organised Crime Unit (YHROCU).

 

Students and pupils from Humberside, North, South and West Yorkshire came together earlier this week for the final of the YHROCU’s Cyber Switch Up 2024.

The venue was Sheffield Hallam University, in the heart of Steel City, where 60 finalists who had successfully beaten thousands of others in an online qualifier were invited to take part in a series of online challenges.

Cyber Switch Up is a digital and cyber skills competition aimed at students aged 11 to 18 years-old in Key Stages Three, Four and Five.

It’s open to students in all secondary schools and colleges across Yorkshire and Humberside.

Almost 5,000 students participated in a free online qualifier challenge for this year’s event

And the top 20 from each key stage were invited to the Sheffield final.

Cyber Switch Up aims to showcase the digital and cyber skills talent of the students taking part while educating and promoting educational and career pathways for young people using those skills.

It also aims promote and encourage positive and lawful cyber behaviours among young people.

Challenges set up for the Sheffield final were created by IBM and Rayethon, the Civil Aviation Authority, the British Army and BAE Systems.

The winners in each category were given a trophy and a host of tech prizes, while their school or college also won a prize in the form of a 3D printer.

Guest speakers at the event included representatives from Google, British Esports, Online Gamers, Sheffield Hallam University, Cyber First, RTC North, and Creased Puddle.

Detective Inspector Richard Wallis of the YHROCU’s Cyber Crime team added: “Cyber Switch-Up gives an opportunity for the region’s young people to compete against each other to show just how good they are when it comes to problem solving in the cyber world.

“It’s a challenging and fun environment which aims promote healthy cyber behaviours while also showing a range of interesting career and educational routes that are open to people with these skills.

“We had 4,878 people taking part in the online qualifier, which was free to enter. The final was a chance for the top 20 in each age group to go up against each other.”

“It’s been really great to see so many young people take part in this year’s competition.”

Assistant Chief Constable Carl Galvin, who opened the event, said: “The talented young people who attended this year’s Cyber Switch-Up final represent the top one per cent of all those who took part. They are the best in the region and to see them putting their skills into action has been immensely impressive.

“They really have demonstrated their potential to be top cyber talents.”

This year's winners and runners-up were:

• KS5 Winner: Alex Craig of Notre Dame Catholic Sixth Form College, Leeds.
• KS5 Runner-Up: Megan Broadhurst of New College, Pontefract.
  
  
• KS4 Winner: Sanad Giaffar of St Mary’s College, Hull.
• KS4 Runner-Up: Daniel Zak of St Mary’s College, Hull.
  
  
• KS3 Winner: Amy Brett of Beverely High School, Beverley, Humberside.
• KS3 Runner-Up: Dominik Bocian of Trinity Academy, South Yorkshire.