The NCSC launches online game to give children a head start with staying cyber secure

A new online game has been launched to help primary schools, clubs and other youth groups teach children and gain awareness for cyber security from an early age. CyberSprinters is a free, interactive game, developed by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – a part of Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), aimed at 7 to 11-year-olds although even those older than 11 may benefit from the cyber skills taught.

The online game sees players become a ‘cyber sprinter’ who are racing against its own depleting battery power. Users can win battery power by correctly answering questions about cyber security but face losing it if they bump into ‘cyber villains’.

The game is part of an educational resource pack that illustrate what good cyber security practice should look like, from creating strong passwords to being vigilant about receiving messages from unknown senders.

“Children are growing up in an increasingly digital world, so it’s really important they learn about online security early on. Our CyberSprinters game offers a fun, free, interactive way for children to understand how to make good choices to protect themselves, their devices and any online accounts. We encourage those working in education to make use of the new resources to help us teach the next generation how to stay safe from cyber threats.”

Sarah Lyons, NCSC Deputy Director for Economy and Society Engagement.

CyberSprinters is designed to make learning about cyber security fun and interactive, at a time when children might begin to seek more independence online. The resources’ content is based around the expert cyber security advice provided by the cross-governmental Cyber Aware campaign, which helps users protect themselves online from the most common cyber threats.

In addition to the game, the CyberSprinters materials, accessible from the NCSC website, also include educational presentations and activities for children to complete. The resources support schools curricula across the UK’s four nations by linking in key learning objectives and have been developed for use in formal settings such as classrooms as well as in non-formal settings, such as by clubs and youth organisations.

More information about top tips to defend against cyber threats can be found at www.cyberaware.gov.uk