Barriers are broken down in the fight against cybercrime.

Louise Meney discovered hacking when she was 12 years old while browsing the internet on her first computer.

She now hopes to make a living from it after more than two decades, thanks to a groundbreaking new course designed to break down gender barriers.

Ms Meney is one of 77 women who have signed up for the free programme at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU).

By the end of the year, she will be able to pursue her dream of working in the thriving cyber security industry.

In addition to meeting the soaring demand for experts, the qualification is intended to challenge the makeup of the tech industry, where less than a quarter is female.

Students who are currently unemployed are among those recruited for the Women Do Cyber programme, which is a collaboration between Cisco, Scottish Women in Technology (SWiT), and GCU.

Abertay University has opened a £18 million cyber-security hub.

Police Scotland and the Scottish government have also backed the initiative.

Ms Meney began hacking while in secondary school after discovering a how-to website.

“It’s something I’ve always enjoyed doing, but not in a bad way,” she told.

“When people hear the word hacker, they immediately think of a bad guy who is going to steal my bank details.” “There is an ethical field of hacking.”We are the people who work to prevent people from penetrating systems and gaining access to information.”