Cybersecurity and Privacy Award
The Cybersecurity and Privacy Awards celebrate students who use creativity, problem‑solving, and ethical thinking to tackle real‑world digital safety challenges. These awards recognise projects that help protect people, systems, and data, and encourage students to think about safe technology use and the human impact of cybersecurity decisions.
Projects can be simple or advanced — what matters most is thoughtful design and clear understanding.
Students must first enter a Core Award category before entering any optional categories. This ensures all entries meet the core Young ICT Explorers requirements.
Age Groups
- Junior: Years 3–6
- Middle: Years 7–9
- Senior: Years 10–12
What Students Will Be Assessed On
Projects in this category are assessed on how well students demonstrate key cybersecurity and privacy concepts. These expectations scale appropriately by age group.
Privacy & Data Protection
- Safe storage, use, and sharing of personal information
- Data minimisation, consent, and user rights
- Understanding of “privacy by design” principles
Cybersecurity Controls
- Access management and authentication
- Encryption and secure data handling
- Basic network security concepts
- Awareness of third‑party and supply‑chain risks
- Secure coding or configuration practices
Risk & Compliance Awareness
- Identifying risks and vulnerabilities
- Awareness of relevant rules, policies, or regulations
- Thinking ahead about what could go wrong and how to prevent it (threat modelling)
Examples of Suitable Projects
Projects may be prototypes, concepts, or fully working builds. Younger students are welcome to submit creative or educational projects — they do not need to produce advanced technical solutions.
Technical Builds
- Secure apps or websites
- Encryption or secure communication tools
- Authentication or identity systems
- Network security demonstrations or simulations
- Safe, sandboxed vulnerability‑testing tools
- Privacy‑preserving systems (e.g., anonymisation or pseudonymisation)
Cyber Awareness & Education
- Campaigns, videos, or resources teaching safe online behaviour
- Tools to help younger students recognise scams or phishing
- Games that teach cybersecurity or privacy concepts
- Activities or tools that explain incident response
AI & Cybersecurity
- Tools that detect AI‑generated misinformation
- Projects exploring risks of AI misuse
- Systems that protect data used in AI models
- AI‑driven tools that improve cyber safety or resilience
Judging Criteria
Entries in this category are assessed using the standard Young ICT Explorers criteria outlined below, plus additional criteria specific to cybersecurity and privacy.
Standard YICTE Criteria
Creativity and Innovation
- Does the project demonstrate original thinking?
- What is the point of difference between this project and similar products on the market?
- What makes this project better or more effective than comparable solutions?
Level of Difficulty
- How challenging was the project for the students’ year level?
- How were problems identified, solved, or overcome during development?
Quality and Completeness
- How well does the project meet its objectives?
- Does it function as a working product that demonstrates practical skills and an understanding of Digital Technologies/ICT?
- Is it a fully developed solution or a prototype? (Both are welcome.)
Documentation and Presentation
- Is the project explained clearly during the Zoom session or in the video?
- Is the project report well‑structured and thorough?
Additional Criteria for Cybersecurity and Privacy Entries
These criteria help judges recognise cyber‑specific excellence.
- Technical Merit (10 points)
- Correct application of cybersecurity and privacy principles
- Accuracy of concepts
- Quality of cyber‑specific implementation
- Use of appropriate tools or methodologies
- Evidence of testing, validation, or threat modelling
- Problem Understanding & Relevance (10 points)
- Clear explanation of the cybersecurity or privacy challenge
- Relevance to real‑world risks or user needs
- Insight into vulnerabilities, threats, or human factors
- Ethical Considerations (10 points)
- Ensuring the project protects people and avoids harm
- Understanding of ethical hacking principles
- Avoidance of harmful or illegal activities
- Consideration of privacy, consent, and data protection
- Human‑centred design that prioritises user safety
(Students must not test on real systems or data without explicit permission.)
How to Enter
Students enter the Cybersecurity and Privacy Awards through the standard Young ICT Explorers registration process.
- Enter a Core Award category first.
All students must submit a project in a core award category before they can enter any optional award categories, including Cybersecurity and Privacy. - Select the Cybersecurity and Privacy Award as an optional category.
During the project submission process, teachers or parents can nominate the project for this award if it aligns with cybersecurity or privacy themes. - Submit the required project materials.
This includes the details requested in the submission form, written report and any supporting files, following the standard YICTE submission guidelines. - Ensure the project meets ethical and safety requirements.
Projects must not test on real systems or use real personal data without explicit permission. Simulated data and safe environments are encouraged.
