When it comes to fighting cybercrime, the University of Worcester has upped the ante with the introduction of its cutting-edge Cyber Lab.

The Cyber Lab features 25 work stations hooked up to a 'closed network', enabling the simulation of a variety of hack attacks, and learning the methods to thwart them safely.

The introduction of the Cyber Security BSC (HONS) course last September has presented strong interest from students.

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Richard Wilkinson, head of department of computing at the university, said: "We needed something dedicated for our students to learn cyber security from for the new degree and we’re really proud of the Cyber Lab.

"It’s a big investment from the University of Worcester which is allowing us to train up the cyber professionals of the future."

Describing the closed network within the lab, Mr Wilkinson said: "In this room we have the dedicated network which allows us to deploy some of the techniques that hackers and cyber attackers use so we can show our students how to defend against them as they’re happening.

"The network in the Lab allows us to do this in a really safe way so it won’t interfere with the outside world, it’s a bit like a ‘bio-secure’ area.

"The computers have a range of different software as well which allows us to learn those techniques for defending against cyber attacks."

One of the future cyber professionals benefiting from the state-of-the-art lab is first year student Izzie Shurvinton.

"Since I was 7, I’ve always said I want to be like a modern-day Alan Turing, and when I finish my studies, I’d like to go into Cyber Security in a place like GCHQ or MI5, that kind of thing," she said.

For more information on courses at the University of Worcester, call 01905 855111, or visit www.worcester.ac.uk.