Record number of schoolgirls make digital waves but women still under-represented in the cyber security sector
- Women make up just 11% of the global cybersecurity workforce
- Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, David Lidington MP, calls for more to be done to encourage women into the cyber security industry
- As well as reaching out to the cyber-pros of tomorrow, NCSC launches a new online training tool to meet the security demands of today
Cyber-savvy female students who took part in an online competition founded by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) were praised today in a speech by David Lidington. Speaking at the ‘Women in Security Network’ conference, the Minister for the Cabinet Office also warned that more needs to be done to open up opportunities in cybersecurity for women.
Nearly 12,000 girls aged 12 - 13 from across the UK took part in the competition in 2019, which was launched by the NCSC as part of the CyberFirst initiative. The competition breaks down gender barriers by encouraging girls to engage with cybersecurity before they make their GCSE choices, with over 24,000 female students have taken part since the competition was launched in 2016. Promising youngsters from across the UK have been attending cybersecurity courses throughout the year, with some securing bursaries and apprenticeships through the CyberFirst programme.
However, with women accounting for just 7% of the cybersecurity workforce across Europe, David Lidington called for more to be done to encourage women into the sector:
"There remains a severe lack of diversity in the cyber industry. Cybersecurity 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 cybersecurity sector too."
As well as reaching out to the cyber professionals of tomorrow, the NCSC has developed an online learning tool to give workers of today the skills they need to protect themselves from potential cyber attacks.
Aimed at SMEs, charities and the voluntary sector, the brand new, targeted 30-minute programme ‘Stay Safe Online: Top Tips for Staff’ educates users about how attacks happen, where vulnerabilities lie and how to defend themselves. During his speech, David Lidington said the new training package will empower any user - not just cyber experts - to play their part in boosting their organisations’ cyber resilience.
Commenting on the new software, Clare Gardiner, NCSC Director of Engagement, said:
"We all have 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."
"Our recent Cyber Survey discovered that 25% of organisations don’t see cybersecurity as a top priority and we hope this tool will empower staff to start conversations around best practice. "
"Once people are more cyber-literate as a whole, we hope to see this having a positive impact on the diversity of people that are interested in working in the sector."
source govuk
Industry: Cyber Security
Latest Jobs
-
- DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant. SC Clearance. London
- London
- £70000
-
CH7838 London £70,000 DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant. DevSecOpp- Security design / review consultant will ensure that newly created, public facing apps are secure by design and by default by aligning them to current / best practice security policies and standards into the design phases. The individual must have a technical software / application development background with specalist experinece in secure architecture design. (Frameworks, processes, best practice etc) Practical experience translating and ensuring that the OWASP top 10, ISO27001, HMG frameworks requirements are reviewed and embedded into project designs which are implemented is essential. Experience working projects through a full development lifecycle is key. You will work along side the design and project teams to idenitfy and mitigate risks throughout the design phases. This is a permanent role. SC clearance is essential as is the ability to get to the London office. (When appropiate #covid) Security DevSecOps consultant. To arrange a discreet call book via https://calendly.com/chris-holt/devsecopp--security-design-review-consultant
-
- SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3, London.
- London
- N/A
-
SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3, Must be able to commute to the City of London. Onsite role. Security clearance needed. The SPLUNK SOC Analyst level 3 must have current experience working within a SOC environment with specific experience using a range of tools and techniques to investigate security incidents. Current experience with Splunk is essential. any additional experience Individuals with Elastic Security SIEM are highly desirable. Any of the following certifications are desirable Splunk Phantom certified admin, Splunk Core Certified Power User / Advanced, Splunk Certified Enterprise Security Admin, etc The role will include, but not be limited to working with sophisticated information security tools, investigating security incidents, incident management, technical escalation, process improvement, research into the latest threats, reporting etc The individual MUST currently be living in the UK and be able to achieve UK security clearance. (SC) This is a permanent role To arrange a call with Chris Holt https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arranged-call-with-chris-holt-elastic-siem-engineer-soc Chris.Holt@dclsearch.com
-
- ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist, End User
- United Kingdom
- 70000
-
CH7828 ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist, End User, £70,000 United Kingdom ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist needed to join a Cyber team within an end user. The ISO 27001 & Business Continuity Security Specialist will have end to end responsibility for the information security and Business Continuity management system. ISMS/BCMS. Both from an information security and technical security perspective working alongside the CISO. Experience must include, but not be limited to; a mix of Information Security standards, frameworks, audit principles, controls / policies and the management and use of the technical tooling to achieve compliance. ISO 22301, ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework etc An ideal candidate will be working within an end user environment with a cyber consultancy background. Experience taking a company through accreditation is highly desirable Experience managing internal stakeholders, technical teams and external third parties essential Flexible working, very occasional travel to London office This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. Looking to interview immediately. https://calendly.com/chris-holt/iso-27001-business-continuity-security-specialis
-
- PCI- DSS Security Consultant, End User
- London
- £70,000
-
PCI- DSS Security Consultant needed to join a Cyber team within an end user. The PCI- DSS Security Consultant will have end to end responsibility for PCI - DSS and its continuing certification. Both from an information security and technical security perspective working alongside the CISO. Experience must include, but not be limited to; a mix of Information Security standards, frameworks, audit principles, controls / policies and the management and use of the technical tooling to achieve compliance. PCI objectives / 12 key requirements, OWASP top 10, ISO 27001, NIST Cybersecurity Framework etc An ideal candidate will be working within an end user environment with a cyber consultancy background. PCI Cloud compliance, specifically someone with experience taking PCI-DSS from on premise into the cloud is HIGHLY desired. However, someone with Solid PCI experience with a strong technical background which include Cyber / Secure by design etc would be considered. Experience managing internal stakeholders and external third parties essential. Flexible working, but with the ability to get into London. This is an exclusive role to DCL Search & Selection. 1st stage interviews to happen the week of the 14th September Arrange a call with Chris on https://calendly.com/chris-holt/arrange-a-call-chris-dcl-pci-compliance