British Telecommunications stages simulated cyber-attack in search for new security talent

Last weekend, telecoms giant BT and the Cyber Security Challenge UK staged a mock investigation into a cyber-attack at London’s iconic BT Tower in a bid to find the country’s best hidden cyber security talent.

Twenty-four of the brightest candidates from a series of online qualifying rounds were invited to compete against each other to investigate how a fictitious retail company came under vicious cyber-attack, show off their abilities in front of prospective employers and qualify for the Challenge’s grand final Masterclass competition.

The event was the second face-to-face challenge in Cyber Security Challenge UK’s 2016 series of competitions, designed to find the UK’s best cyber security talent. Candidates were tasked to track down the perpetrators of a data breach who had siphoned of money using unauthorised bank transfers, physical compromise, LAN intrusion and point of sale devices.