IT’S TIME TO PROVIDE EQUITABLE EDUCATION ABOUT CYBERCRIME

by Wendy Komadina, Head of Channel APJC, Cloudflare

Back in the mid-80s, when I was in grade 10 at high school, I recall learning about the ‘Internet Superhighway’ during my business studies class. I recall imagining a truck driving down a highway, not quite comprehending what on earth the ‘Internet’ was. None of my friends had computers, no one owned a mobile phone, and car navigation relied on the ‘Gregory’s’ street directory. At that age, pressure was mounting to start considering my future career options, but cyber breaches and cybersecurity were in their infancy, and no one had enough experience to build a curriculum to offer cybersecurity education.

The first major cybercrime that gained widespread media attention was back in 1988, famously known as the ‘Morris Worm’, a self-replicating computer program coded by Robert Morris, a student at Cornell University. So, realistically, anyone over the age of 30 in the workplace today is unlikely to have grown up with an option to study and learn about cybersecurity.

Fast forward to today and cybercrime is exploding. It includes cyber bullying, human trafficking, cyber stalking, identity theft, fraud, phishing: the list goes on. The important question that must be asked is, if everyone is a target and cybercrime does not discriminate, why do we see such a discrepancy between men and women leading the charge against cybercrime?

Census Reveals Gender Disparity In It

When we consider themes around equality and equity, I immediately recall and focus on the under representation of women in cybersecurity. In the last Australian Census published in 2021, Australia recorded just under half a million people qualified in information technology. Globally, Statista estimates the number of cybersecurity professionals to be 4.6 million with women holding roughly 25 percent of roles, an encouraging increase from 11 percent in 2017

The 2021 Census found only one in five ICT professionals and ICT managers were female. However, women under 30 accounted for one in three ICT managers and ICT business and systems analysts. This spike demonstrates that the industry is attracting new talent. There is no doubt the emergence of STEM programs has attracted women to careers in the technology sector.

So, overall, it looks like we are making progress. However, the gap is so wide that it will take decades of persistence and education: not only to attract women into the technology sector, but into cybersecurity.

Imperative To Lower Barriers To Entry

A challenge on everyone’s mind is: how do we continue to close the gap and attract women into the tech sector and into a niche like cybersecurity? The answer is we need initiatives that go beyond offering STEM programs that contribute to gender equality in the workforce. We need to ensure we provide equal access to education and to pathways into cybersecurity.

The Australian Government’s 2022 workplace gender equality statistics show women making up 47.9 percent of employed persons in Australia, 26.3 percent of all women working full-time and 21.6 percent part-time. When you break down what roles women are in, they are child carers, receptionists, healthcare workers, office managers, teachers, hospitality workers, sales assistants and accountants. Many of those careers could be bridges into the technology sector.

But how do we create those bridges, particularly for women over 35 who did not grow up with an option to study cybersecurity? Many of these women have not been part of the STEM program movements that have opened doors for new talent, and they have already established their careers. We have to build bridges where women have equitable access to career options in cybersecurity and showcase the new opportunities available in the sector should they be enticed to leave their careers for the adventure.

Building Bridges Into Cyber Careers

First and foremost, we need to stop assuming all the bridges need to lead to technical roles. In fact, creating bridges to bring women closer to careers in the technology sector is the best step forward. From there, the next step is a bridge into a technical role for women so inclined. For example, accounting roles are a natural bridge to a career in penetration testing. Sales assistant roles can evolve into security marketing, lead generation or business development.

A few ways for women to get their foot in the door, and which should be more widely circulated, include short courses and mentoring programs where women can participate and get a taste of what a role in tech and cybersecurity could look like.

My advice to women wanting to dip their toes into cybersecurity would be to attend technology events and introduce themselves to the sponsors at the cybersecurity stands. These can offer visibility of different career options and pathways. They should listen to women in tech speaking publicly about their experiences building their careers and becoming industry leaders. At Cloudflare we have run a Women in Cybersecurity breakfast each year and would happily host a session to support women from other sectors wanting information on the topic. There are also many associations women can sign up for, and of course, this magazine is also a great source for learning.

www.linkedin.com/in/wendykomadina/ www.linkedin.com/company/cloudflare/