The Co-op has partnered with The Hacking Games to help prevent cybercrime by identifying young cyber talent in the wake of a high-profile cyber-attack against the retail industry.

The move comes as the company's chief executive admits that all 6.5 million of its members had their data stolen in the cyber incident in an interview with the BBC on Wednesday.

The Hacking Games is a UK-based social impact business which aims to prevent cybercrime by channelling the cyber skills of young people into positive, ethical careers.

The Co-op said the new partnership will combine its reach into every post code area of the UK, community expertise, 38 Co-op Academy schools, and its 6.5 million member base with The Hacking Games’ extensive knowledge and expertise in cybercrime.

The Co-op said the partnership is a long-term initiative, with ambitions to develop the scheme into a large-scale national movement with further studies into prevention strategies and a planned pilot within Co-op Academies Trust, which supports 20,000 students across 38 schools.

Its plan is to co-develop a longer-term programme, with potential to expand to the wider UK education system, that supports earlier engagement, targeted student and parent training, and inspires future pathways into ethical cyber career.

Earlier this month, the National Crime Agency arrested four people in connection with cyber-attacks on Marks & Spencer (M&S), The Co-op, and Harrods.

Following an investigation by the law enforcement agency, two males aged 19, another aged 17, and a 20-year-old female were apprehended in the West Midlands and London.

Shirine Khoury-Haq, group chief executive of Co-op, said that the company knows first-hand what it feels like to be targeted by cybercrime and the impact it has on the people and communities it serves.

“At Co-op, we can’t just stand back and hope it doesn’t happen again - to us or to others,” she added. “Our partnership with The Hacking Games lets us reach talented young people early, guide their skills toward protection rather than harm, and open real paths into ethical work.

“When we expand opportunity we reduce risk, while having a positive impact on society.”

The retailer said it wants to help prevent cybercrime before it starts by supporting young people in putting their skills to good use, adding that its members have consistently highlighted the importance of creating opportunities for young people.

By opening doors and widening access, the Co-op said it aims to reduce risk and offer real alternatives to those who might otherwise be led down the wrong path and reflects Co-op’s values-led approach to tackling the root causes of harm.

The Co-op cited a report by Forrester which estimates that cybercrime is expected to cost £12 trillion this year globally, with 69 per cent of European teenagers having committed some form of cybercrime or online offence.

The company added that there is an urgent need to engage Gen Z and inspire them to pursue careers in cybersecurity, putting their cyber skills to ethical use as hackers for good, rather than being drawn down a more nefarious route that can cause real disruption to victims.

The cyber threat landscape is evolving at an alarming rate, with Co-op highlighting that the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals has never been greater.

While the government has identified cybersecurity as a key frontier industry with an exceptional potential for growth, already valuing the industry at £13.2 billion, the Co-op points out that around the world 4.8 million cybersecurity roles remain unfilled.

The Hacking Games is trying to tackle this challenge head on by connecting the cybersecurity industry with unconventional talent, with its programme focusing on prevention by creating access to opportunity, building resilience, and supporting better choices – especially for those most at risk of exploitation.

The organisation said that autistic people in particular are seven times more likely to thrive in structured problem-solving environments like cybersecurity, yet 71 per cent of autistic adults in the UK are unemployed.

In May, the Co-op had to close down several business services for staff operating stores and its legal services division.

The company's stock monitoring system was also impacted, leading to empty shelves at some of its stores.

The Cyber Monitoring Centre (CMC) recently classified the cyber-attacks on M&S the Co-op as a Category 2 systemic event in its first live public assessment of the financial impact on the UK of a cyber incident.

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