GCHQ Invites Teenage Girls to Participate in Cyber Security Battle

Hey Bay Area folks, you remember those days when we casually chatted online, posted on our favorite forums and downloaded music endlessly – with never a worry about cyber threats or online security? Fast forward to today, where cyber security is one of the most pressing issues of our time. You’re aware, of course, how large this cybersecurity world really is – from our own personal accounts to major corporations, from healthcare systems to government agencies.

Now, here’s something fascinating. In the UK, they’re harnessing the online savvy of their young social media enthusiasts. Teenage girls, who spend hours scrolling through Instagram or Snapchatting their friends, could just be their future cyber warriors. Can you believe it?

Britain’s intelligence agency is launching a competition to encourage more girls to contemplate a career in cybersecurity. Girls as young as 13 to 15 years old will have a chance to compete. The tasks they’ll face will cover a broad spectrum – from coding and cryptography to logic and networking.

Now, check this out – women currently make up just 10% of the global cybersecurity workforce. Not that surprising, but certainly a statistic that needs to change. The idea is to get these girls working in teams of four, handling sequenced tasks that increase in complexity. All this from their school computers!

Guess what happens next? The ten teams that nail the highest scores are charged with investigating a complex cyber threat. For the grand finale, these cyber superstars are invited to London. The winning team is awarded some pretty sweet computer equipment for their school, and the girls get some personalized swag for their efforts.

Let’s face it – we can’t think of cyber security as a predominantly male domain anymore. Women have shown they’re more than capable to contribute meaningfully to this sector. This initiative will likely inspire more of them to step into this dynamic, rewarding field.

Improving the diversity of the cyber workforce is essential and this competition is a great start. Here in the Bay Area we should take a page out of the UK’s book and remember that protecting our systems from threats is a task for everyone- age or gender doesn’t matter.

Let’s see more initiatives like this, who knows who our next cybersecurity hero could be! Maybe that teenage girl you see every day, eyes glued to her phone, turning the tides on Internet security. We certainly need more warriors armed with knowledge, talent, and the will to make the web a safer space for everyone.

by Morgan Phisher | HEAL Security