THE National Science and Media Museum is set to launch a new exhibition next month which will uncover the fascinating world of codebreaking, cyber security, and secret communications.

Top Secret: From Ciphers to Cyber Security has been created alongside expert advisors from the UK’s intelligence, security and cyber agency, GCHQ, and will open to the public from Friday 11 February, running until Sunday 5 June.

It follows on from its successful run at the Science and Industry Museum in Manchester and the Science Museum in London.

Visitors can discover more than a century of codebreaking history through objects, interactive puzzles and first-person interviews.

From the First World War to the latest in cyber security, fascinating stories will be revealed via hand-written documents, declassified files and artefacts from the historic collections of the Science Museum Group and GCHQ.

Visitors can also delve into a collection of objects that will track the remarkable work of Alan Turing and the team at Bletchley Park, who broke German cipher systems in the 1940s.

The work of intelligence agencies during the Cold War will also be featured, as will the challenges of maintaining digital security in the 21st century.

Commenting on the exhibition, curator Toni Booth said: “Our museum tells the stories of the science and culture of sound and vision technologies and their impact on our lives, so we are incredibly excited to be welcoming Top Secret to Bradford.

“The exhibition will showcase how advancements in image and film have impacted domestic spyware throughout the Cold War era, and ultimately influenced modern technologies that have transformed how we communicate today.”

Sir Jeremy Fleming, Director at GCHQ, said: "GCHQ has been at the heart of the nation’s security for over 100 years. We are always evolving to respond to changing threats, helping to protect the country, its people and our way of life.

“We're delighted that Top Secret will soon open in Bradford’s National Science and Media Museum. The centenary exhibition is an exploration of our past, present and future.”

The Government plans to further establish a ‘cyber corridor’ in the north to promote growth in the digital, defence and technology sectors, and the subsequent need to inspire a new generation of diverse intelligence and cyber security officers, makes the launch of Top Secret in Bradford particularly important.

Free tickets for the exhibition are available to book now via the National Science and Media Museum website.