Northrop Opens 2016-2017 UK National Youth Cyber Defense Competition

Northrop Grumman has launched the U.K. national youth cyber defense competition for 2016-2017 in efforts to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.

The company said Thursday CyberCenturion aims to encourage students to pursue cybersecurity related academic courses and careers and address the skills gap within the industry.

More than 130 teams of 12-18 year olds registered for the event, which held its formal kickoff Friday at the Air Force Association headquarters in Washington, D.C.

“The growth in the number and diversity of teams that have entered this year has been outstanding and indicates the increasing interest that young people have in cyber security,” said Andrew Tyler, CEO of Northrop’s European operations.

“Promoting education in STEM is critically important for Northrop Grumman and through CyberCenturion, we look forward to identifying and nurturing the cyber talent of the future,” he added.

CyberCenturion is the U.K. equivalent of the U.S. CyberPatriot competition and was launched through a partnership between Northrop and Cyber Security Challenge.