A virtual world for finding, testing and recruiting cyber talent has been unveiled in London. Cyber Security Challenge UK, backed by the Cabinet Office and private and public sector sponsors has launched ‘Cyphinx’, a 3D virtual skyscraper that acts as a gateway to cyber security games, competitions and ciphers; as well as recruitment opportunities. The first collection of games for Cyphinx, which has the world’s first use of the Minecraft world to test cyber skills, has been developed by technology companies Clearswift and ProCheckUp, and hobbyists as young as 12. The aim; to make Cyphinx a UK hub of cyber talent recruitment opportunities.
According to organisers, traditional recruitment methods have proved ineffective in the cyber landscape and employers have been crying out for new ways to find, test, and appeal to fresh talent. Hence Cyphinx. The Cyphinx virtual skyscraper, hosted by Skyscape Cloud Services, has been developed with the Serious Games Institute to look like a 3D console game. Candidates can create avatars, enter the building, interact with other candidates, and engage with potential employers. As they work their way through the games, players’ scores are entered on to leader boards for cyber security related disciplines such as risk analysis, forensic analysis, network defence and ethics, giving them the chance to prove and showcase their individual cyber skills and creating a digital CV in the process.
With organisations including, SANS Institute, BT, Skyscape Cloud Services, GCHQ, QinetiQ, Northrop Grumman, BAE Systems, Airbus, National Crime Agency, IRM, Raytheon, PWC, PGI, Bank of England, National Grid, HMGCC, and ProCheckUp among supporters, players are almost guaranteed to cross paths with some of the cyber security industry’s most prominent employers, it’s claimed.
Every area in Cyphinx will contain a new opportunity to test a different cyber skill, available 24-hours, thanks to a play on demand (PoD) platform that powers all gameplay. This always-on access is a new feature and has been developed in response to feedback from previous candidates who want to play Challenge competitions as and when they wish rather than on a timetable.
Cyber Security Challenge UK encouraged industry professionals and young cyber enthusiasts to create cyber security games that blend traditional cyber security ciphers, code-breaking puzzles and gaming ideas. Visitors to Cyphinx can now try their hand at stopping the bad guy ‘insider’ causing havoc within an office network, and performing digital forensics on suspect files. But they can also solve cyber puzzles in the world of Minecraft, where codes are hidden in unusual places and need to be found before they can be solved. This is the first time Minecraft has ever been used for cyber skills development.
You can sign up to Cyphinx on the Cyber Security Challenge UK website.
Stephanie Daman, CEO at the Cyber Security Challenge: “Amidst the chronic shortage of cyber professionals, there is a wealth of talent which is still untapped. Over the last six years we have made it our mission to find these individuals, using the best, most innovative methods. This is the next logical step to inspire an audience who may not yet even know that cyber is the career for them. By harnessing industry, government and candidate knowledge and expertise to find talent in new and innovative ways, we’ve created a world first – a virtual community that can be accessed whenever our candidates desire. We look forward to seeing it grow and help drive awareness of the cyber security roles needed in the industry through a truly rich gaming experience.Today, we’re opening the doors and inviting people to wander the halls, investigate every floor, play anything they like, anytime they like, and explore the first virtual world designed solely to test and nurture cyber security skills.”
And Ed Vaizey, Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy: “The UK has a thriving digital economy so there’s a huge demand for people to join the cyber security profession and help protect our businesses. Government is committed to encouraging young people to consider cyber security as a career, and this new ‘virtual world’, developed by the Cyber Security Challenge, will help ensure the UK develops the cyber experts of the future.”
