Step inside the offices of Bluescreen and you'll find some of the UK's most talented teenage hackers, dragged from a world of crime to fight for the other side.
"It didn't even get past the intro before my bedroom door flew open and 10 police officers came in to arrest me.The police were there for a good reason: when he was 16, Jack had stolen personal information from about 1,000 people. About 15 people work in the Security Operations Centre, a handful of whom have been referred to the company as hackers who aren't malicious in nature and are deemed capable of reform.Another employee, Cameron, was arrested on his way to school when he was just 14 years old.
The route into a life of hacking isn't always the same, but a lot of the stories are similar, and they often start with gaming."I didn't like my high scores being beaten in video games - I always had to be the best at them." "I was trying to cut corners any way I could. Rather than studying, I would try and make it look like I was studying and doing well.
Det Sgt John Atkin from the South West Regional Cyber Crime Unit was attending a Bluescreen security course as part of his own professional development."I never would've thought when he was arresting me as a 14-year-old kid, that we'd one day be on the same course. "Cameron's a good kid so he's doing really well; the future's bright for him. Hopefully, he'll take this forward and then the world's his oyster."There's a relaxed atmosphere when you walk into the Security Operations Centre, but it's serious work.
As apprentices, employees like Jack and Cameron start on a wage of about £650 a month, but after five years of experience they could easily be earning close to £50,000 a year.
Teenager hackers ruining technology for everyone.