International Women’s Day is an excellent opportunity for reflection and taking stock of where we are and where we want to be. As we reflect on the progress made for gender equality across industries over the past year, it’s equally important to recognize the persistent challenges many women face in traditionally male-dominated industries, including cybersecurity.
This year, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord is reflecting on the significant barriers remaining to women’s empowerment in cybersecurity. We know that women face access and agency hurdles throughout their employment journey, from pipeline and recruitment to advancement and retention.[1] With women accounting for only 24% of the global cybersecurity workforce[2] and approximately 3 million unfilled cybersecurity vacancies[3], it is imperative that the industry takes action to help women enter and advance in the field.
Following the success of last year’s “#MyCybHerStory” campaign, the Cybersecurity Tech Accord and its signatory companies are joining forces with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for International Women’s Day in 2023. Our signatories will provide mentors, resources, and trainings to enrich the ITU’s Women in Cyber Programme. The robust programme not only empowers women with the skills needed to become leaders in the cybersecurity field, but also connects the industry with a pool of talented women from all over the world, ultimately helping close the gender and workforce gaps in cybersecurity.
ITU’s Women in Cyber Programme was created to tackle the cultural and systemic barriers that prevent broader inclusion of women in cybersecurity, while working to equip them with the skillset to enter and thrive in the field. The programme encourages community building, guidance, and senior-junior solidarity among women in the sector, and pushes for greater inclusion across the digital divide.
As part of our collaboration with the ITU, we are pleased to announce that the Tech Accord will host an interactive career webinar on 28 March titled #MyCybHERStory – exploring cybersecurity careers for women and girls with industry leaders, where women signatory representatives will share their experiences in the industry with women and girls interested in pursuing a cyber career. Participants can ask questions and hear from women leaders about their respective career paths and learn how they chose the right path and concentration according to their skillset and interests. Participants will also discuss the latest cybersecurity trends and the important role women can play within the cybersecurity community.
We hope that other companies will join our efforts to promote cybersecurity careers with women professionals, and encourage all women interested in pursuing a career in this field to join our #MyCybHERStory webinar. Information on our speakers and instructions on how to register for the webinar will follow shortly on the Cybersecurity Tech Accord’s social media channels.
Cybersecurity Trainings Provided by our Signatories
Digital Strategy and Cybersecurity – VU Security
Two-Factor Authentication – VU Security
Fraud Analysis – VU Security
Customer Identity and Access Management – VU Security
[1] BCG, “Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity Is a Win-Win” (2022) https://www.bcg.com/publications/2022/empowering-women-to-work-in-cybersecurity-is-a-win-win
[2] (ISC)2, “Women in Cybersecurity: Young, Educated and Ready to Take Charge” (2019) https://www.isc2.org/-/media/ISC2/Research/ISC2-Women-in-Cybersecurity-Report.ashx?la=en&hash=4C3B33AABFBEAFDDA211856CB274EBDDF9DBEB38
[3] (ISC)2, “Cybersecurity Workforce Study” (2022) https://www.isc2.org//-/media/ISC2/Research/2022-WorkForce-Study/ISC2-Cybersecurity-Workforce-Study.ashx
The post <strong>Cybersecurity Tech Accord celebrates Women with upcoming #MyCybHerStory webinar on exploring cybersecurity careers for women and girls</strong> appeared first on Cybersecurity Tech Accord.