SCHOOLS across the North of England are being urged to sign up for the UK’s flagship cyber security competition for girls.

The National Cyber Security Centre’s CyberFirst Girls Competition gives schoolgirls the chance to be crowned champion codebreakers in the region.

Teams of girls aged 12 and 13 in the North have already begun putting their codebreaking skills to the test.

Chris Ensor, National Cyber Security Centre deputy director for skills and growth, said: “It’s fantastic to see so many young girls engaging with the cryptic challenges that we’ve set.

“I’m encouraged to see the large spread of schools from all corners of the UK taking part.”

The contest, which aims to boost female interest in cyber security, sees participants compete to decipher a series of over 100 online puzzles and challenges on topics ranging from logic and cryptography to network and online safety.

Teams that successfully navigate the online round will qualify for the final on February 8.

Registration will remain open until Tuesday January 21.

To sign up, visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/girls-competition