How to be a Codebreaker

On the final day prior to half-term a group of intrepid Senior IT students went on an exciting IT trip to Bletchley Park to enrich their study of the subject, with a specific focus on online safety and security of data.

Once Britain's Best Kept Secret, today Bletchley Park is a heritage site and vibrant learning centre. During their visit the students explored some of the iconic World War Two code-breaking huts and blocks, finding out about the astonishing achievements of the codebreakers whose work is said to have helped shorten the war by two years.

As part of their visit there was a chance for the girls to get “hands-on” with an Enigma Machine when they participated in a "Codes and Ciphers" workshop, exploring mathematical encryption and encoding techniques that have been used throughout history, tackling complex processes to solve a codebreaking challenge. The workshop included a unique opportunity to see a genuine Enigma machine and be introduced to its design and role in WW2.

The group also learnt about how, at the end of the War, the expertise developed at Bletchley Park was taken forward in the organisation known now as the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ). It was interesting to understand how, just as Bletchley Park Codebreakers raced to find solutions when the enemy made its ciphers harder to break, security experts today use ingenuity and inventiveness to keep cyberspace secure.

It was a hugely informative and interactive day for all involved.