Exclusive:
The intelligence agency is looking for gamers and geeks who spend their free time ‘reading up on cybersecurity, ethical hacking, or coding’ – with as little as two GCSEs needed to qualify
Secret service bosses are recruiting gamers to join a new tech spy programme.
The intelligence agency GCHQ is looking for geeks who “might be a gamer who enjoys building and creating online worlds or teaching yourself to code” or “follow YouTube channels or be part of a Reddit group with a keen interest in tech”.
They add: “You might spend free time reading up on cybersecurity, ethical hacking, or coding”. Successful applicants will get a starting salary of £25,856 on the new Cyber Specialist Development Programme, which will launch next January.
The new recruits will be schooled by spooks at the National Cyber Force base in Samlesbury, Lancs, “and at another location in Lancashire”. At the end of an 18-month programme, the best students will join the organisation’s Computer Network Exploitation team.
The National Cyber Force, which includes officials from MI6, GCHQ and the military, has been operating since April 2020 , countering threats from terrorists and hostile states. The advert says: “You’ll be part of a group at the front line of our mission to protect the UK from harm”.
It adds: “Within the team, there are two key roles: operators and developers. Operators use bespoke technologies to disrupt threats to the UK, target and infiltrate adversaries’ computers, and find weaknesses in intricate software.
“Developers design tools that operators need to do their job, working closely with operators and other professionals on the team to understand their requirements. In short, we’re always looking for new and creative ways to solve real-world problems and influence operations.
“Operating under strict legal safeguards and oversight, we have the scope to do things that simply aren’t possible elsewhere.”
Qualifications considered can be as low as two GCSEs, with the days of secret service staff mostly being recruited from Oxford and Cambridge now long gone.
The advert adds: “You don’t need formal STEM qualifications or prior experience in technology to do this role, but you’re required to have two GCSEs/O-Levels at grade 4/C or above in Maths and English Language. Alternatively, you’ll need an equivalent Level 2 qualification, such as an NVQ or Intermediate Apprenticeship in Maths and English Language subjects.”
A source said: “In common with many organisations, there is a push to take on a broader spectrum of employees.” And maybe the sky’s the limit – MI5 chief Sir Ken McCallum was state educated and did a maths degree at Glasgow University.
