What Girls Bring To Cyber Security

Around the world only 11% of cyber jobs are female and there is a drive to encourage more girls to look at careers in cybersecurity. Some cyber experts and educators think females have particular skills to bring to the table.

Now, schools in the US and in Wales are leading with a range of interesting programs for school age females. 

USA

Young women attending high school  are being encouraged to participate in an upcoming cyber-based competition in New Jersey. The Girls Go CyberStart challenge is a skills-based competition designed to encourage in New Jersey high school girls to consider cyber-based learning and career opportunities. Jared Maples, the director of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, said the competition is an opportunity for young women to explore their aptitude for cyber-security and computer science. 

This comes, “by trying to solve challenges, essentially puzzles that involve cyber security practices and introduce them to disciplines like forensics and open source intelligence, cryptography, web applications, all of the different facets of cyber-security,” said Jared. 

Wales 

In the UK there are already 3,500 cybersecurity jobs in Wales with the Welsh Government aiming for the country to be a hub for the UK. Clare Johnson, head of cybersecurity at the University of South Wales, says girls brought different skills to the work. It came as 100 jobs were created in Bridgend by IT consulting form CGI, and the project launched in Cardiff is looking to get girls interested in tech careers. CGI already employs 1,200 workers at three different sites in Bridgend and has a cyber-security centre in Reading, employing more than 200.

Richard Holmes, CGI's vice-president of cyber-security services at CGI in the UK said the centre would serve both private and public sector customers. "Our new cyber-security centre will help our clients be resilient against the increasing threat of cyber-attacks, data breaches and the insider threat....CGI has had a long history as a major employer in south Wales and our latest investment is testament to the highly skilled workforce in the region and our commitment to continue to bring high-skilled jobs."

In Cardiff, a competition was launched for girls attending Ysgol Bro Edern. Pupils are already learning coding and are now getting a taste of what cyber-security is about. Twelve year old  Elin, 12, said to tye BBC: "I'd like to use my skills to deal with viruses online and stuff that can wipe out computers, and also encrypting codes, which I think is really helpful....When you get into it, it's also fun," she said.Angharad, 13, who would also consider it as a career, added: "There's so much fun you can have on the internet, I'd like to make it safer, instead of being targeted by people."

Welsh Finance Minister Rebecca Evans, told the BBC that cybersecurity was an important part of the Welsh Government's international strategy. Newport is also hosting the CyberUK 2020 Conference taking place next May.

"Cybersecurity is the fastest growing tech sector we have in Wales at the moment and we think it's an area we're really excelling in and we're focusing on growing that sector," she said.

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