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Teen hackers tell BBC how police are helping them use their skills for good
🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Crime & Justice

Teen hackers tell BBC how police are helping them use their skills for good

From BBC News · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • A UK police program called Cyber Choices is helping teenagers with hacking skills channel their abilities into positive cybersecurity careers.
  • The program pairs young individuals, like 16-year-old Lucas, with police officers to guide them away from cyber criminality.
  • Cyber Choices aims to provide training and qualifications, diverting youthful talent towards legitimate professional paths in cybersecurity.

A unique police initiative in the UK is transforming the potential of young hackers into a force for good, guiding them toward cybersecurity careers. The Cyber Choices program, also known as Cyber Prevent, works with teenagers who have engaged in unauthorized computer access, like 16-year-old Lucas, who initially hacked his school's systems to play games and access blocked websites.

It was like a challenge to see if I could.

— LucasDescribing his initial motivation for hacking his school computers.

Lucas described the hacking as a "challenge" and a "sense of achievement." His mother, concerned about his actions, contacted the police, leading to an officer from the Cyber Choices program visiting their home. PC Sam Cooper, a cyber prevent officer, has been working with Lucas, explaining the real-world consequences of cyber-attacks and steering him toward legal and constructive activities.

It's quite a sense of achievement when you've succeeded in doing something that two or three trained professionals have spent a lot of time trying to stop you doing.

— LucasReflecting on the feeling of accomplishment from successful hacking attempts.

The program focuses on identifying the interests of these young individuals and diverting them towards professional training and qualifications. PC Cooper emphasizes that this is a step-by-step process, involving months of one-to-one meetings to build trust and provide positive encouragement. The goal is to help them understand legal boundaries while nurturing their technical talents.

My mum was like, 'ooh, you've got a detective coming to speak to you, you're in a lot of trouble'.

— LucasRecounting his reaction when his mother involved the police.

Cyber Choices operates alongside the more widely known Prevent scheme, which identifies potential terror offenders. The National Crime Agency's (NCA) Cyber Choices scheme has seen over 1,150 cases referred in the last eight years, with nearly 600 in the past three years. Authorities are increasingly concerned about teenage hacking groups playing a significant role in serious cyber-attacks, linking them to incidents involving major organizations and cryptocurrency theft.

I'll try and find where their interests are and try and divert them towards professional training, qualifications.

— PC Sam CooperExplaining his approach to guiding young individuals away from cyber criminality.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by BBC News. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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