Mentors and trailblazers: Paving the way for more women in cyber

By ITU News

Cybercriminality is on the rise worldwide. But in addition to a chronic global shortage of cybersecurity professionals to combat it, a significant gender gap persists in a field where three out of four cybersecurity professionals are men.

An International Telecommunication Union (ITU) webinar highlighted the scale and extent of the problem – and looked to prominent female cybersecurity experts for advice on redressing the issue.

Part of ITU’s annual Global CyberDrill, which simulates information cybersecurity incidents and other types of disruptions to test an organization’s capabilities to counter cyberattacks, the webinar emphasized the importance of role models and mentorship opportunities in encouraging women to make the leap into one of the digital industry’s most male-dominated realms.

Jane Frankland, cybersecurity influencer and award-wining entrepreneur, calls cyber a “particularly tough” field for women.

“You are working in a male-dominated industry and may be judged more harshly in the immense competition that is present,” she says.

“We urgently need to improve diversity in the cybersecurity field, so that we benefit from women’s unique insights and perspectives, and so that more women get the opportunity to take advantage of the many new and exciting opportunities this field offers,” says Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Development Bureau.

“We believe a holistic model built around role models and mentoring offers immense potential to tackle the cultural and systemic barriers that prevent the broader inclusion of women in cybersecurity. That’s the motivation behind the new Women in Cyber (WiC) mentorship programme, launched last year by ITU in partnership with the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) and the EQUALS Global Partnership,” she says.

Inspire, train, empower

The WiC Mentorship Programme rests on three pillars: Inspire, Train, and Empower.

Inspire invites women with successful careers in cybersecurity to serve as role models, sharing  their inspirational experiences through monthly keynote webinars. 

Train introduces mentees to different technical fields in cybersecurity through monthly courses, while also helping them improve soft skills such as communication and leadership. 

Perhaps most importantly, Empower is where mentees participate in guided monthly sessions with mentors, building their relationships and learning directly from senior women professionals and peers. 

Together, all three pillars aim to equip participants with the tools they need to advance and succeed in one of the most rewarding and fast-growing digital markets. 

A successful first pilot

A six-month WiC pilot programme launched on International Women’s Day 2021 saw 69 mentees from Arab and African countries matched to 20 mentors based on background, fields of expertise, and desired outcomes. Thanks to the programme’s expertly targeted curriculum, participants had the opportunity to network with women in senior roles and develop the skills needed to pursue new career paths and opportunities in the rapidly evolving cybersecurity field.  

At the end of the programme, 40 proud mentees graduated from the 2021 cohort.

According to a programme survey, 91 per cent of mentees agreed that WiC enabled them to have a clearer perspective in their cybersecurity career goals. 91 per cent of mentees also agreed that the programme helped them improve their overall personal development.

Maintaining momentum

To ensure the WiC programme remains sustainable and mentee-driven, special ‘Envoys’ have been selected from the 2021 cohort to serve as both regional and international representatives. These Envoys will become catalysers of the programme’s growth, participating in future editions as ‘Junior Mentors’ and sharing their experience and advice with future cohorts. 

WiC programme Envoy Angela Matlapeng said she “experienced exponential growth, having gained new technical and soft skills paramount to my career in cybersecurity.” She added:

“I have increased my network and cross-border collaboration with other amazing women and experts in the cybersecurity workforce.”

Several mentees have already found new jobs, and as the WiC programme continues to create new links around the world, future editions will expand opportunities for new participants in other regions, with the 2022 edition, set for launch in March, targeting women in the Arab States, Africa and Asia-Pacific.

Listen to the latest episode of the Unconnected podcast where Doreen Bogdan-Martin, Director of the ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau, speaks with Louise Marie Hurel and Angela Matlapeng, who participated as mentors and mentees in the Women in Cyber Mentorship Programme.

Learn more about the Women in Cyber programme.

Image credit: Christina Morillo via Pexels