Students studying cyber security at UTC Swindon have been working alongside detectives at Wiltshire Police to help tackle the overgrowing issue of cyber fraudsters.
The Level 3 cyber security qualification at UTC Swindon is equivalent to an A level and this course is now in its second year with growing demand.
David McCormick, a lecturer in computing at UTC Swindon, said: “About a year ago we were looking for a digital course which would be up to date for this day and age.
“Together, the students came up with the idea of doing the course on cyber security. It comprises a lot of what computing is about in today’s world in terms of the network side of things – the idea of being able to secure that in such a way that benefits both individuals and companies and at the same time understanding the theory behind security and how networks work.”
Students on the cyber security course spend five days spread throughout the year observing different departments, learning about everything from how 999 and 101 calls are transferred to how digital forensic investigators painstakingly trawl a computer for indecent images or other evidence. This is all part of the UTC Pipeline Programme for all KS5 students, working in partnership with Wiltshire Police.