The Women in Cyber Security Summit was a significant event, presented by the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) and Hemisphere East, sponsored by Infoblox held at Parliament House on the 6th of February. This event brought together industry leaders, government officials, and academics to address the critical issue of increasing female representation in this critical field. While the discussions were insightful, a sense of urgency permeated the room, underscored by Dr Andrew Charlton MP's opening address, declaring "Cyber Security is the defining challenge of our time."
The summit highlighted the urgent need for collaboration across industry and government, echoing Ambassador Brendan Dowling's observation that "There is no other industry sector in Australia where civilians are expected to fight on the front lines," with cyber threats targeting businesses of all sizes and the risk of data breaches rising. With such an urgent need being clear, it is even more important that women and girls are included in the conversation.
Key takeaways from the event included the importance of early engagement with young girls through initiatives like the Girl Guides Australia Cyber Security Awareness Badge, the T-EDI Standards and Project F - Creating Gender Diversity in Tech. The need for more inclusive hiring practices, embracing neurodiversity, and fostering a more welcoming and supportive workplace culture were strongly emphasized.
However, a recurring theme was the frustration with the lack of concrete, actionable steps. As one audience member pointed out, with current trajectories, true workforce diversity remains a distant goal, potentially 40 years away.
Lessons Learned:
- Early Intervention: Engaging young girls in STEM education, particularly cyber security, is crucial.
- Collaboration: Stronger partnerships between industry, government, and academia are essential for developing effective solutions.
- Focus on Culture: Creating inclusive and supportive workplace cultures is vital for attracting and retaining female talent.
- Embrace Innovation: Explore non-traditional career paths and leverage micro-credentials to encourage career transitions into the cyber security field.
The summit served as a valuable platform for dialogue, but it's now time to translate these discussions into tangible action. Let's move beyond rhetoric and work together to build a more diverse and inclusive cyber security workforce.
Here at Canberra Cyber Hub, we are doing our bit to support and celebrate women in the cyber security sector. In 2024 we were proud to launch our International Women in Cyber Day event – this will take place again on September 1st in 2025. In the meantime, join us at our Cyber Career Symposium on March 19th or come network with cyber professionals at our other upcoming events.
Pictured
Panel 3: Strengthening the Cyber Talent Pipeline: Government and Industry Working Together
(Featured below left to right).
- Alison Wall, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Future Skills Organisation
- Jacqui Loustau, Managing Director, AWSN
- Scarlett McDermott, Managing Director, Longitude Advisory
- Matt Sailer, Chief Executive Officer, Australian Cyber Collaboration Centre
- Julia Burns, Chair, TAFECyber
Looking for ways to engage with the Canberra Cyber Hub in 2025? Click here for our full list of upcoming opportunity's.
