Teen hackers tell BBC how police are helping them use their skills for good
The UK's 'Cyber Choices' program is working to divert teenage hackers away from cybercrime by helping them channel their technical skills into professional training and legal careers. Police officers visit young offenders to explain the real-world consequences of their actions and provide mentorship.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a proactive approach to cybersecurity, turning potential digital threats into future industry talent through rehabilitation rather than purely punitive measures.
Image caption, Lucas said he felt a "sense of achievement" from hacking
Lucas was 16 when he got into trouble for hacking his school computers. Twice.
"It was like a challenge to see if I could," he told the BBC.
He wanted access to play games and visit blocked websites so he started tinkering with programming.
At one point he even unscrewed the computer tower to take some internal components home for tests.
"It's quite a sense of achievement when you've succeeded in doing something that two or three trained professionals have spent a lot of time trying to stop you doing," he said.
He was close to being expelled - but his worried mother had no idea how serious his actions were.
She called the police and invited an officer from the nationwide programme Cyber Choices to their home in rural Cumbria.
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