ISC2Congress: Cybersafe chief says cybersecurity industry needs women-centered programs in Africa…and worldwide

nBringing more women into the cybersecurity workforce and talent pool isnan essential part of solving the skills and threat challenges.nWomen-only cybersecurity programs, particularly in Africa, are criticalnto achieving this, the opening Global Voices session at ISC2 SecuritynCongress heard today.n

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nConfidence Staveley, executive director of the Cybersafe Foundation,ndrove home the importance of women-focused programs and initiatives in ansession titled The Inclusive Algorithm: How Women-centric CybernInitiatives Catalyze Diversity. 

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nThe organization offers a variety of programs across Africa, includingnits one-year CyberGirls Fellowship to equip girls and women withncybersecurity skills, get them certification ready, as well as positionnthem to start a career in cybersecurity.n

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nShe said that 75% of the global cybersecurity workforce is currentlynmale, while in Africa it is 91% male. Meanwhile, 57% of organizationsnreported unfilled cyber positions, with total losses to cybercrimenamounting to $3 trillion.n

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n“We cannot manage our way out of this crisis. We have to get creative.nWe have to be bold and we have to lead our way out of this crisis,” shensaid. That means thinking outside of “our comfort zone”, she continued,nand that comfort zone has included not paying enough attention tondiversity. Cybersecurity has even higher levels of gender exclusion thannother sectors, she said.n

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nOvercoming stereotypesn

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nOne challenge was an assumption that the sector was “techie” and morensuited to “able-bodied men”, while women were more suited to “caring”nprofessions or service roles.n

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nBut, she suggested, “I don’t know that in cybersecurity, what we do isncarry racks of servers everywhere around the office.”n

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nThis isn’t just a question of equity, Staveley said. The industrynworldwide needs to foster diversity as it will “Help us solve problemsninnovatively. It unlocks the potential to think in different dimensions,nin different directions. And to enable us to be able to solve uniquenproblems.”n

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nAnd it was worth remembering, she said, “Our attackers…are not from onenpart of the world. They don’t look a certain way. They’re quite a mix.”n

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nThis was an issue around the globe, she said. But young women and girlsnin Africa faced additional challenges. A family with limited resourcesnmight only be able to afford one computer, to which boys are more likelynto get access. A young man getting ready for work, or study, will getnup, wash, have breakfast, then leave the house, she said. His sister maynwell have had to go to the spring to fetch the water, fetch firewood,nmake breakfast and serve her brother, “And then she goes to the halln[where] we’re training her.”n

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nSuccess from empoweringn

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nStaveley cited a number of successful graduates from her organization’snprograms, pointing out that their success benefits their families asnwell. “When you empower a woman, you actually raise a generation.”n

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nSo, it was in the industry’s interests to not just look at how it couldnfoster diversity in general, but also “to create equity and belonging bynzooming in on underrepresented groups and women focused cybersecurityncapacity building programs.”n

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nAs well as supporting initiatives like Cybersafe, which is lookingnto increase its reach, including to cover Francophone countries, thenindustry needs to consider the full range of ways it can attract,nretain, engage and empower young women in cybersecurity. This couldnrange from “captivating social media storytelling” and sellingncybersecurity as a career, to dedicated talent placement programs,nglobal mentorship programs and providing infrastructure support.”n

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nThis journey will require “intentionality,” Staveley said, but therenwas also an urgency about this. That’s because at the current ratenof progress, it will take 130 years to close the global gender gapnin the cybersecurity sector.n

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• n ISC2 Security Congress is taking place until October 27 2023n in Nashville, TN andn virtually. Moren information and on-demand registration can be found here.n
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• n ISC2 SECURE Washington, DC takes place in-person on Decembern 1, 2023 at the Ronald Reagan Building and Internationaln Traden Center. Then agenda and registration details are here.
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• ISC2 SECURE Asia Pacific takes place in-person on Decembern 6-7, 2023 at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre inn Singapore.n n Find out more and register here.n n
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