20 July 2019

The Cabinet Office in Westminster, London, UK

The UK Cabinet Office said women are still under-represented in the cyber security sector despite a “record number of schoolgirls making digital waves”.

In an address at the Women in Security Network conference June 18th, minister for the Cabinet Office David Lidington said that more needed to be done to create opportunities for females in the cyber security space.

“There remains a severe lack of diversity in the cyber industry,” he said. “Cyber security is among the most important aspects of our national defence today, so we need talent from every part of society enriching our workforces. Women have been pioneers in security and technology and we want to see this reflected in the cyber security sector too.”

The Center for Cyber Safety and Education Report in 2017 revealed that women comprised only 8% of the UK cyber security profession and 11% of the global workforce.

However, an online competition held this year by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), as part of the CyberFirst initiative, saw close to 12,000 girls aged 12-13 years take part.

Since it launched in 2016, more than 24,000 female students have taken part in the competition.

Furthermore, the Cabinet Office noted that promising youngsters from all over the UK have been enrolling on cyber security courses throughout 2019 and some have secured apprenticeships and bursaries via the CyberFirst programme.

Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington, said that “Women have been pioneers in security and technology and we want to see this reflected in the cyber security sector too.”

In addition to engaging with future cyber prospective cyber professionals, the NCSC has created an online learning tool to enable workers to gain the skills they require to guard themselves from potential cyber attacks.

‘Stay Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff’ targets SMEs, charities and the voluntary sector.

It also shares awareness with users on how cyber-attacks occur, where vulnerabilities are present and how to defend against cyber events.

Lidington added the new training tools would help any user gain the ability to boost the cyber resilience of UK enterprises.

NCSC engagement director Clare Gardiner said everybody has a part to play “in making the UK the safest place” to live and work online.

“Employees are vital in helping keep their organisations’ networks safe and need to be aware of how to protect themselves,” added Gardiner. “Our recent Cyber Survey discovered that 25% of organisations don’t see cyber security as a top priority and we hope this tool will empower staff to start conversations around best practice.”

Meanwhile, specialised security company NTT has partnered with Global Digital Women (GDW) to launch the inaugural Women in Cybersecurity Awards as part of an initiative to recognise and inspire talented female professionals and newcomers in the cybersecurity industry across Europe.