The Group ran a competition at graduate recruitment fairs across the UK, which challenged aspiring security testers and researchers to overcome a number of different tasks. The tasks aimed to identify the highest calibre of young talent for a career path that is increasingly important in today’s society.
Each participant was given a personalised USB stick containing password protected or encoded information that they had to unlock. Students that successfully accessed the data gained access to a server in the cloud from which they were set three further personalised tasks, including hacking into a database to obtain a secret web address.
Of the students to complete the task, the greatest proportion came from the University of Manchester, with Royal Holloway following close behind.
Rob Cotton, CEO of NCC Group, comments: “We’re a global business that has to work hard to stay competitive across all the markets in which we operate. Being able to recruit the best and brightest talent is an essential part of this.
“The best-performing students we tested are emerging from their study with strong practical skills, which is very encouraging news for businesses.”
Bernard Strutt, External Affairs Manager, School of Computer Science at The University of Manchester added: “Preparing our students for pioneering careers is really important for us. Our courses are rigorous and challenging in their own right but it’s also vital for our graduates to be able to apply their knowledge in an unfamiliar environment. We’re delighted that their performance in the NCC Group challenge reflects this.”