A police-led programme is helping young people who experiment with hacking to redirect their technical interests into lawful cyber security careers. Lucas, 16, was close to expulsion after repeatedly bypassing restrictions on his school computers, but a Cyber Choices officer has since worked with him to understand the harm and legal consequences of cyber-attacks while encouraging constructive study.

Cyber Choices, run with the National Crime Agency, has received more than 1,150 referrals over eight years, with nearly 600 in the past three years. Authorities say teenage, English-speaking hackers are increasingly linked to serious attacks, including incidents involving Transport for London, MGM Grand, Marks & Spencer and the Co-op, while many young people begin simply by testing technology or circumventing controls before being drawn into criminal online communities.