Telford College students put their cyber skills to the test

Telford College students have been putting their cyber skills to the test by taking part in a national ‘hackathon’ challenge.

Level three digital students tackled a series of tasks at the college’s Station Quarter campus in the town centre, as part of the WorldSkills UK Cyber Hackathon.

The event allows learners from across the country to showcase their skills and talents in cyber security.

“We had 30 of our learners taking part this year, which is the highest number ever, and they thoroughly enjoyed the challenges,” said Telford College digital lecturer Elisabet Basford said.

“It was an opportunity for them to develop their skills, embrace innovation, and collaborate with like-minded individuals to solve real-world problems.

“The challenges included searching JavaScript for passwords to break into various systems, a forensic task which included searching for deleted files, and various code breaking challenges.”

The hackathon, spread across three days, presented students with a variety of challenges of increasing difficulty, with those who capture the most ‘flags’ securing the top positions on the national leaderboard.

Adam Standler, one of the students who took part, said: “I particularly enjoyed the flag activity where we had to read through code in Java script and identify four flags which gave us a password to unlock the task.”

Mateen Padela, director of Security Impossible which supported the event, said: “Cyber security is a journey filled with numerous intriguing virtual stops, each offering unique lessons.

“The foundation of this journey is built on diverse security pillars. Participating in a hackathon engages you in various ways and stimulates your mind to think outside the box.

“It’s common to encounter roadblocks and feel stuck; however, remaining open to learning and adapting enables you to continue making progress. The goal isn’t to find all the answers but to understand that each answer you uncover requires a depth of knowledge.”

Suresh Kumar, WorldSkills UK international training manager, added: “Success in a hackathon more than just writing code or discovering flags; it’s about the connections you build, the ideas you spark, and the enthusiasm you unleash.”