4 legal ways your kids can test their tech skills today

4 legal ways your kids can test their tech skills today

Hi

Following up on my last email about #CyberChoices during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month we know that telling a talented, tech-loving young person to simply "stay off the computer" is not right and doesn't work.

Instead, the trick is to feed their curiosity with legal challenges that simulate real-world cybersecurity. Curiosity is not a crime.

Here are four 100% free, safe, and legal platforms backed by the UK government and industry leaders where they can put their skills to the test:

• Cyber Explorers – A gamified platform by the NCSC designed for Key Stage 3 students to explore digital and cyber security careers.
• CyberStart  – An advanced suite of hacking challenges and puzzles specifically built for teenagers to try ethical hacking safely.
• Raspberry Pi Projects – Excellent for young people wanting to master actual coding, hardware manipulation, and system building.
• TechFirst - GOV.UK – Offers official bursaries, courses, and competitions designed to find the UK’s next generation of cyber defenders.

By steering their passion early, we aren't just keeping them on the right side of the Computer Misuse Act 1990—we are helping them build a foundation for a lucrative future career.

👉 Read the official parent/educator guide on the Cyber Choices - National Crime Agency to learn more.

Kind regards

Stephen Blake

Cyber Prevent Officer