British teenage schoolchildren are to be taught cyberskills in a new initiative designed to combat cyberterrorism.
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Britain is launching a cyber skills programme for thousands of teenagers and investing 23.4 million euros on developing extra-curricular activities and a core curriculum.
The idea is pupils will later be able to better protect the businesses or institutions they will one day work for.
The move comes at a time when fear over cyber attacks is on the rise, and several attacks have been committed in Britain.
Ed Butler outlines the threats posed by #CyberTerrorism #TMR17 pic.twitter.com/eYlf2RreU2
— Pool Reinsurance Co. (@PoolReinsurance) February 8, 2017
Islamic militants hacked into NHS websites in January, flooding them with grisly images of victims of the war in Syria, and Chinese and Russian industrial and political espionage has also been identified as a potent threat.
Pupils aged 14-18 will be targeted, with the aim of training 5,700 teenagers by the end of the decade, with participants expected to commit to four hours study a week over four years.
The latest Hacker News Paper https://t.co/tTeo8UZYlh! https://t.co/RR4nDpL9IV
— The Hacker News (@TheHackersNews) February 10, 2017
The government will tender for private bids to teach the course, which is hoped will enrol its first students in September.
It appears it is never too early to start producing the digitally literate citizens of the future. One primary school teacher in France is in the news for teaching her children about fake news, and how to identify and avoid it.
This is in French, or course, but we hope it gives you an idea. The children wear masks so they can be filmed and remain anonymous. And this is primary school, masks are fun!