How do we attract more women into roles in cyber security? This is a question that we hear a lot and on many occasions the answers that follow are not great. In many ways though this is the wrong question to be asking. A better question is how we can make cyber security more inclusive.
There are many reasons why women dont choose to go into a career in cyber security, either directly from university or from adjacent industries. A seeming lack of good female role models, when compared to other computing industries, is one reason that is often cited. Other reasons include the way the industry markets itself, poor visibility of what roles in the industry look like and most importantly an apparent lack of training opportunities. Whether these are true or not, the fact that they are all too often cited, should be enough to concern us.
But returning to our initial point, this isn’t just about the problem of a lack of women in cyber security, its a wider one of whether the industry is as inclusive as it should be. The solution to this issue isnt that we need to create specific roles for people who are not currently attracted to this industry. Instead, its important that working environments within the field are open, supportive, empowering, and fun to work in. This should be true for all staff regardless of background or gender. If this happens then the industry talent pool can be filled with plenty of new bright and interested minds. Being inclusive in this way will naturally result in diversity of people, ideas and opportunities.
But what has this got to do with chronyko I hear you asking. Thats easy! One of the key skills needed in cyber security is the ability to solve problems. So based on this and our background in the area we are well placed to offer our thoughts.
But lets be realistic for a moment, we cannot solve this problem all on our own. However, we can take a step forwards in our understanding and test some possible solutions. At chronyko we can do that by creating a narrative, without barriers or constraints, that showcases what roles in cyber security are all about. If we can do that, people will naturally want to learn more and discover the industry on their own terms. So staying true to the chronyko concept, we need a story to show us the way.
Its a dark and stormy night in 1843 and a young woman called Ada Lovelace is working on a translation of a written work by an Italian military engineer. Its about a new invention called the Analytical Engine. This is the cutting edge of technology and the Italian research could be vital to advancing our understanding. As the candle, by whose light she works, flickers in the draught her thoughts turn away from the words she is studying. She imagines how a set of instructions might be created that would enable the machine itself to solve some form of problem. Her mind races as she considers what the implications of these thoughts could be. Soon she is scribbling down notes on what a program to solve such a problem might look like. She doesn’t realise it now, but these notes will become part of computing history.
Fast forward to 2017 and we now couldnt possibly conceive attempting to solve a complex problem without turning to a computer to help us. Our tools may be a long way removed from Adas, but the concept behind them is very much the same. Whenever we are faced with a problem that seems too complex to solve, even if we only have basic programming skills, we can immediately think about how a computer might help.
Reflecting back on our story for a moment, we can see that Ada found herself at the vanguard of new thinking and was able to use this to find a space to engage and contribute. But how do you start a career in an established industry like cyber security? Thats where we can help to shine a light, starting with what is needed to be successful within the cyber security industry.
The reality is that almost anyone with enough passion, the desire to learn and the right mindset has the potential to flourish. This is because cyber security is actually not all about technical skills or programming ability. Yes, there is a need for technical understanding, but problem solving, creative thinking and logic are all equally important capabilities. This is one reason that standardised teaching courses on the subject are generally not the solution to this problem. However, an approach to skills development that uses practical examples and real world puzzles has a proven track record of success.
So while were thinking about our story of Ada and her first computer program its also worth reflecting on the fact that 8th March is International Womens Day. Every year one day is dedicated to celebrate the women who have achieved great things or who have striven for a more gender inclusive world. The theme of this year’s day is #BeBoldForChange and focuses on building a better working world for everyone.
Some of the objectives behind this years theme are:
- To challenge bias and inequality
- To campaign against violence
- To forge women’s advancement
- To celebrate women’s achievement
- To champion women’s education
What better way is there to celebrate this day than to provide, in true chronyko spirit, a small brain teaser for you to attempt. Wed like to thank MWR InfoSecurity for their help in putting together this and some of the great resources youll discover if you complete it successfully.
Our puzzle celebrates those women who have been bold for change, broken the mould and have made the field of computing a better place for us all. If you enjoy this little teaser then you may have also just taken your first step towards a career in cyber security!
We’ve used the names of some notable women who have achieved firsts in the field of computer science to encode a secret message? Can you work out the code and what to do with it when you’ve found it? Good luck!
