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financial times report cybersecurity skills

Why successful companies invest in cybersecurity skills

  • min read
    • Arming your cybersecurity team with the right skills and experience is a crucial first step in facing down threats. In partnership with Longitude, a Financial Times company, Kaspersky surveyed 750 leaders at enterprises around the world about their approach to cybersecurity. The research found a small group of companies strongly believe their cybersecurity training programs can keep pace with the ever-changing threat landscape. Dubbed the Skills Leaders, these businesses have better security outcomes. About three-quarters (74 percent) say they're prepared for employees accidentally creating a cybersecurity threat – such as falling for a phishing scheme – compared with only half (49 percent) of the rest. This is good news, because cybersecurity skills are in short supply. In 2021, Microsoft announced the US is facing a cybersecurity skills crisis, citing that more than one in 20 of all open jobs in the country require cybersecurity skills. In the same year, research by Information Systems Security Association (ISSA) and industry analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) found 95 percent of cybersecurity employees globally believe the skills gap has not improved in recent years. Our research found one-third (34 percent) believe this shortage will get worse in the next two years. But the Skills Leaders are a small group — just eight percent of the research sample. How can more organizations follow their lead? Three ways to upskill your workforce in cybersecurity 1. Train everyone, not just IT It's not just the cybersecurity team that should be on constant alert for threats. Employee-wide updates and reminders help make security part of company culture. "People need to keep their software up to date, understand how to encrypt their internet traffic and not use public Wi-Fi," says Shawnee Delaney, CEO of US-based insider threat specialist Vaillance Group. "These are general cyber hygiene practices, and they're critical. Reducing human error is crucial. Technology researchers Gartner predicts that by the end of 2025, more than 99 percent of cloud breaches will arise from preventable user misconfigurations or mistakes. One way to reduce these errors is to introduce cybersecurity 'tests' to see how employees respond to threats and increase training for those who fail them. This is what Ricardo Lafosse, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Kraft Heinz, does. "It's probably one of our best ways to see whether a malicious actor could mislead our employees and get into our organization using phishing techniques," he says. 2. Update your coaching techniques Training must also move with the times to keep up with the evolving threat landscape. The Skills Leaders identified in the research seem to understand this. They're more likely to be forward-thinking with their training. About two-thirds (67 percent) say it will be very important to carry out immersive cybersecurity training (gamification and simulations to recreate real attacks) in the next two years, compared with less than half (49 percent) of the rest. "Cybersecurity training is often perceived as a formality, but one-off training is not enough," says Evgeniya Naumova, Executive Vice President of Corporate Business at Kaspersky. "Behavioral change won't appear with the wave of a magic wand. It takes commitment and practice for acquired skills to become habit. Continuous learning is especially important for enterprises to prepare teams for the evolving threat landscape." Staying up to date also means being able to change strategy fast. To combat new threats as effectively as possible, Kraft Heinz's Lafosse prioritizes agility and flexibility in his cybersecurity team. 3. Put cybersecurity at the heart of recruitment Upskilling in cybersecurity will inevitably involve addressing the skills gap. And that could force companies to take an innovative approach to recruitment, like hiring candidates with non-IT backgrounds. The research found the Skills Leaders are more likely to embed cybersecurity awareness in their recruitment and onboarding processes, stressing the need for high cybersecurity standards from the start. Enterprises with a multinational presence must ensure they approach cybersecurity consistently across their global operations. It only takes one cyber threat in one region to potentially wreak havoc across the whole organization. The skills gap is a big challenge for enterprise cybersecurity teams. To be protected against the full range of evolving threats, enterprises must do all they can to fill it. That means expanding recruitment, preparing their existing workforces by keeping them abreast of changes and training them right from the start. This content was paid for by Kaspersky and produced in partnership with the Financial Times Commercial department.
identity theft university

How one university’s stolen student IDs caused a crime wave

  • min read
    • Cybercriminals see education as an amazing opportunity. But they're not taking classes or gaining qualifications – they target universities and other educational institutions for the wealth of personal information they hold. In Tomorrow Unlocked's video The Backdoor into Campus, Royal Holloway, University of London cybersecurity experts talk about how a major identity theft incident on campus happened and how they're working to keep students and staff safe in future. How educational institutions are attacked Universities and colleges often have many people using their systems, like staff, students and visitors. They also offer many kinds of services online. Mike Johnson, Chief Information Officer at Royal Holloway, University of London, describes a recent security incident. "A staff member's credentials were stolen and used to send convincing offers of part-time work to students. Some students undertook the work and were paid. But they were overpaid, then asked to return some of the money. It was money laundering on a significant scale." Why cybercriminals love stealing identities "Commonly, we find those who try to attack us are looking to harvest identities," says Johnson. "When they've got them, they'll try to harvest more until they're sure they can attack us in the way they want to." Education can stop attacks on education It's all about authentication, says Keith Martin, Professor of Information Security at Royal Holloway, University of London: Knowing the person trying to access something online is the person they say they are. "Imagine a front door. Whoever has the key can open it. To breach that, you need to get hold of the key. Entering a country is more high security: Border control looks at credentials like a passport and the person submitting it." Professor Martin continues, "In cyberspace, it's a bigger problem because we can't see who's asking for access. The most popular authentication is a password, but passwords are like keys – easily copied or stolen. So we need to use the passport model – asking for multiple things to gain access." That's called multi-factor authentication. You'd need more than a password to gain access, such as a code sent by SMS or biometrics, like a fingerprint. Senior security researcher at Kaspersky, Noushin Shabab, says for the best security, multi-factor authentication should combine biometrics like facial recognition with another credential. Developing 'cyber common sense' in education Professor Martin says the most important thing anyone can do to keep their identity safe is to develop 'cyber common sense.' "Hesitate before doing anything in cyberspace – if you're sent a link or a message asking for information, ask, why do they want this?" Johnson feels education institutes are perfect places to learn cybersecurity awareness. "We've got to be willing to have a conversation with students about digital security and what protecting their identities means. We're educators – we're well placed to help people operate in an environment they'll operate in for a long time."
women who shaped computing

We should all know about these women who shaped cybersecurity

  • min read
    • The UK's National Health Service (NHS) asks, "Is cyber a man's world?" It's a provocative statement to promote cybersecurity careers to women, but why should we be asking this question today? Surely cyber and computing careers are for everyone. So why are many women tuning out? Today's working wisdom is that diversity benefits teams, but there's slow progress in getting more women to join technology-led careers and keeping them on board. Human computers: The first data scientists The word 'computer,' coined in 1613, was first used for humans who performed computation. Many of the best were women: Nicole-Reine Etable de la Brière Lepaute helped predict Halley's Comet's return in 1758. A century later, Maria Mitchell plotted the planet Venus's motion, earning an astronomy professorship. When the US Civil War ended in 1865, war widows needed to support themselves. Women were hired as human computers. Agnes Meyer Driscoll, known as 'Madame X,' led the decoding of Japanese ciphers and manuals for the US during both world wars. Women solved the ultimate Enigma Britain's Alan Turing is famed for cracking the Nazi's 'Enigma' code during World War II, but it wasn't the work of a lone genius. Of Bletchley Park's codebreaking team, 75 percent were women. Turing's colleague Joan Clarke worked out how to speed up decoding double-encrypted messages, but unlike many of her male colleagues, her technique wasn't named after her. Clarke's job title didn't match her expertise – there was no 'senior female cryptanalyst' role, so she was given the job title 'linguist.' Painstaking calculation devalued as 'kilo-girls' The dominance of women as human computers cloaked an inconvenient truth. Their work was on average better, and they were cheaper than male counterparts. The Harvard Computers, mockingly called "Pickering's harem," supported Edward Pickering at Harvard Observatory in the 1880s, doing work men and scholars found tedious, unpaid or at a fraction of what men earned. The term 'kilo-girl' came about in the 1940s to describe complex calculations seen as 'women's work.' We measure computing power in gigabytes or terabytes, but they measured kilo-girl hours – one kilo-girl was a thousand hours of painstaking calculations. The kilo-girls work was far from trivial: In the 1950s, Gladys West's calculations for the US Naval Weapons Laboratory led to GPS's development. Computing becomes a man's world By the 1960s, human computing had given way to machines. In the 1940s programmers were mostly women, but by the end of the 1960s women made up 30 to 50 percent. Women were still paid less and few were promoted to leadership. The perception computing is for men and boys started at home. A 1984 report showed 1 in 5 girls used a computer at home, compared with 1 in 2 boys. Female computer science graduates peaked in 1984 at 37 percent, before steadily declining. Academic Wendy Hall says by the 1990s, men led professional computing and computers "were sold as toys for boys." Ten women from computer history to know Ada Lovelace invents the first algorithm Publishing the first algorithm in 1843, Ada Lovelace is said to be the world's first computer programmer. She realized Charles Babbage's Analytical Engine could do more than calculation: Combining mathematics and analysis. Ada Lovelace Day celebrates women's achievements in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and encourages young women to follow her path. Hedy Lamarr averts the Cuban Missile Crisis 1940s Hollywood actress Hedy Lamarr co-invented a frequency-hopping method to control torpedoes remotely without the risk of signal tracking or jamming. Naval ships were using the technology by the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. It later became part of Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Grace Hopper invents new ways to code Grace Hopper created the first compiler for a programming language. She programmed and wrote a comprehensive manual for an electro-mechanical computer based on Babbage and Lovelace's Analytical Engine, Harvard Mark I. She wasn't credited for this but is widely miscredited for coining the term 'bug' when a moth caused her computer to malfunction. She later developed computer programming language COBOL (common business-oriented language) and invented new symbolic ways to write code. Margaret Hamilton took us to the moon The 1969 moon landing wouldn't have happened without Margaret Hamilton, who programmed Apollo's flight software.It needed more 'human computing:' After Hamilton's programming, seamstresses hardwired the code by threading copper wire through magnetic rings. Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler organized the internet At Stanford University in 1969, Elizabeth "Jake" Feinler created the first internet directory, ARPANET, alongside mostly female staff. By the early 1970s, they'd put together the first WHOIS directory of web domain ownership. Feinler suggested categorizing domains by where the computer was, like .edu domains for educational institutions. Women who built new audiences for technology Organizing, building relationships and human factors – often thought of as female traits – are critical in computing projects' success and creating demand for new services. Joan Ball set up the first computer-aided dating service in 1964. In 1988, Stacy Horn started a community in New York, the East Coast Hang Out (ECHO,) where users could chat online. Game designer Brenda Laurel's research showed girls wanted to play more interactive character computer games. In the 1990s, her company Purple Moon developed a best-selling game series inspired by that research. In the 1970s, Joan Margaret Winters researched how software should consider human factors for IBM's SHARE project. When you see the iconic trash symbol on your Apple Mac, thank Susan Kare. She worked with Steve Jobs to design its original icons. Today's influencers for women in cybersecurity When young people see people who look like them succeed in a career, they're more likely to choose it. For women considering going into cybersecurity, there's no shortage of inspiration. Parisa Tabriz, the self-styled "Security Princess" (official title: Director of Engineering,) runs Google's security testing labs. Eva Galperin, Director of Cybersecurity at Electronic Freedom Foundation (EFF,) fights for digital privacy, security and civil liberties. Eva Galperin helps women secure their devices against stalkers and spying ex-partners. Rebecca Bace's threat intrusion detection work at the US National Security Agency contributed to famous hacker Kevin Mitnick's arrest. The cybersecurity community nicknamed her 'Den Mother' for her vital mentorship and advice and posthumously inducted her into the 2019 Cyber Security Hall of Fame. Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE creates skills training and certification to encourage young women to pursue cyber careers through her company Stemettes. Jane Frankland, security entrepreneur and author of InSecurity: Why a failure to attract and retain women in cybersecurity is making us all less safe, helps the C-Suite (senior management) attract and retain women in cybersecurity. Attracting and retaining more women in IT careers In the UK, the proportion of women in IT has stayed at 16 percent for the past decade. But in many countries, such as those in Central Asia, women make up nearly half of the IT workforce. It's the gender-equality paradox: In countries with less gender equality, educated women seek careers with more income security, while in countries with better gender equality, women avoid careers said to discriminate against women. There are green shoots of progress. Kaspersky's 2021 Women in tech report surveyed women in four global regions. Encouragingly, 57 percent say gender equality is improving in their organization. Despite this, 44 percent think male colleagues progress faster. COVID-19 has brought one step forward: 1 in 2 think remote working has improved gender equality – but 60 percent say they're now doing "most" of the housework and homeschooling. In the report, Dr. Ronda Zelezny-Green, Co-Founder and Director of Panoply Digital, says change is slow because "too much activity around gender equality in IT focuses on one-off gimmicks and band-aid solutions that can be spotlighted in the press, instead of focusing on female employees and actions that will make a sustained difference in their professional lives." Dr. Zelezny-Green thinks we should entice more women into the industry by creating new products and services for women. Widely-reported diversity problems with Artificial intelligence (AI) could be seen as an opportunity: "There's huge potential in telling the stories of Timnit Gebreu and Joy Buolamwini, black women leading the charge for more ethical and inclusive AI design. These stories make inroads in IT and tech roles where women are currently underrepresented." In a prosperous future, we won't need to ask, "Is cyber a man's world?" or "Where are the women in cyber?" They're not hiding under the desk. They're making change, but in another industry. We're on the right path, but it's a long journey ahead. With more women, we can better create products that represent users and benefit from a gender-equal computing industry.
cybersecurity champions

Cybersecurity champions could be your secret weapon in raising employee cyber-awareness

  • min read
    • Now that organizations rate cyberattack as their biggest risk, cybersecurity needs to be everyone's business – not just the IT department's problem. A cyber-secure work culture will make businesses more resilient to threats. Employee behavior is one of the biggest factors behind cybersecurity incidents. Change how your employees understand cybersecurity with a cyber-aware work culture, and you'll substantially reduce the risk of compromise. One way of raising cybersecurity awareness at work is through a cybersecurity champions program. Technology researchers Gartner found although fewer than 10 percent of organizations had one in 2017, they forecast 35 percent would have a cybersecurity champions program by 2021. Why cybersecurity champions change business culture Lena Smart, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for MongoDB, calls cybersecurity champions the "cheerleaders and supporters of security" across an organization. MongoDB is a database platform to build web and mobile applications. It powers everything from popular online game Fortnite to dating site eHarmony's real-time communication system. The company is headquartered in the US and has 2,000 employees globally. "We need to assure customers we're keeping our applications secure and we want to show our internal customers they're working in a secure environment," says Smart. MongoDB's cybersecurity champions program was one of Smart's first initiatives when she joined the company last year. A 20-year industry veteran, she implemented two similar programs in previous CISO roles at international electronic trading platform Tradeweb and another at New York Power Authority. Smart says security experts inside an organization may have a limited perspective because they're looking through a tight lens. Weaving security through software development Security champions schemes are adopted most in software development, particularly with the trend toward DevOps. DevOps means combining software development and IT operations teams and processes to speed up development. As the need grew to scale DevOps projects faster while minimizing software vulnerabilities, organizations looked for ways to embed security into the development process. They called the approach DevSecOps. "Security champions programs aim to build a better security culture and get DevOps to create secure software more reliably," says Dan Cornell, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) with US application security company Denim Group. Cornell is a big proponent of cybersecurity champions and has helped many organizations launch programs. He says their aims vary depending on the industry, regulatory environment and company culture. For DevOps, he says, champions make security knowledge more accessible to the development team. Having run successful security champions programs outside of software development, Smart says the rules are transferable. "There's no difference in how you set it up from one company to the next." The champions are colleagues from different roles, teams and departments. Smart particularly wants participants who don't have "security" in their job title or responsibility. "The champions want to learn and understand security and how they can help the company to be more secure," she says. At MongoDB, the program is voluntary and relatively informal. Champions are encouraged to attend monthly meetings with ideas for training and other things they want to do. Building cybersecurity culture from the bottom up Organizations often approach cybersecurity culture from the top down, starting at the C-Suite (executive-level managers.) University College London (UCL) surveyed more than 800 employees in one organization and found attitudes toward security varied greatly between the company's divisions. They recommended a bottom-up approach to help get buy-in from people at all levels. The study's co-author and lecturer at UCL's Department of Security and Crime Science Ingolf Becker thinks a security champions program works because it's a two-way street. "It promotes security at all levels, but it's also an opportunity for management to get feedback about what's happening on the ground." Smart says sometimes the best ideas for improving security comes from people who "don't live under the scrutiny of the CISO every day. It gives you, as the CISO, a view you wouldn't otherwise have." Champions making cybersecurity communication clearer Smart measures the success of a champions program by how much feedback she gets on initiatives and efforts. For example, a new data-retention policy for a communication app the company was using: "Data-retention policies can be disruptive. We wanted to make sure we were asking the right questions and giving the right information to those affected," she explains. She put the champions to work. They met as a group and reviewed the draft memo. The champions took it apart, discussing what could be improved, what needed more information, and so on. That input, she says, saved her security team a lot of angst. "We finessed what was going to be a disruptive piece of communication," she says. She knew it worked because emails came in thanking them for the clarity of the message. People appreciated the efforts put in by those outside the CISO's core team. How to implement a cybersecurity champion program Becker says security champions must not be security people. "They're employees who are 'one of us,'" he says. "I think most organizations could benefit from having this local expertise about what security means to an organization." He says at organizations he's worked with, the program was often organic – started by people or teams who took it upon themselves to promote security. In those instances, formalizing the program helps to provide training and resources to develop it. To start a program, Smart recommends CISOs get executive support. At MongoDB, she started by pitching the idea to her manager, the company's CTO. "He loved the idea," she says. "Support from the top is fundamental, or it won't be a success." You must also work out what kind of commitment participants need, based on how often the champions meet and other tasks they do. The next phase is to promote the program and recruit volunteers – an online survey is a good way. After pitching her idea to the CTO, Smart enrolled the company's communication experts to raise awareness, including the benefits of the program to the organization. When employees stepped forward, their supervisors had to sign off. Smart had conversations with the managers who were uncertain and explained how volunteering could fit around the employee's day-to-day role. "Because it's voluntary, some months you may have five people in the room and some months 20," Smart says. "Don't be disheartened if the numbers go down. They'll come up again." To grow the program, look for ways to promote the champions' work and impact. MongoDB includes "day in the life" stories about the champions in the company's security newsletter. Championing security helps develop careers Gartner says cybersecurity champions programs are a zero- or low-cost way to accelerate your security message. Some organizations may offer incentives, and in DevOps scenarios, being a champion may become a full-time role. At MongoDB, the champions aren't there for perks, but there are benefits. They learn things and serve as leaders to their peers. Smart, too, found an unexpected benefit: Two of the champions later joined her team. "They're now a bridge between the old and new ways of security," she says. Becker believes just about any organization could implement a cybersecurity champions program. But there's one caveat. "You must be willing to listen and change based on the input of champions," he says. Smart notes the champions share a common goal. "We're all trying to solve the same problem: Keeping the data safe and the bad actors out," she says. The program lets her talk to people she rarely speaks to about ways to improve security. "It's a linking of the groups and a linking of the minds," she says. If you want to improve your security culture – and are willing to listen to employees with diverse perspectives – a security champions program is a great way to bring about long-lasting change. This article was published in May, 2020.
industrial cybersecurity training

Industrial cyberattacks are on the rise. Technology and your people can stop them.

  • min read
    • The industrial sector didn't have much cause for cybersecurity before. In the 20th century, there were few computers and little use of the internet in the manufacturing process. The internet of things (IoT) and the rise of operational technologies (OTs) – automated systems responsible for operating machinery safely – has changed all that. With fatal cyberattacks on the rise, it's time to take your cybersecurity seriously and work with your people to help minimize the risks. Digital transformation is transforming cyber-threats As manufacturing plants and sites are becoming more digital, cyber-threats are growing. There's a significant rise in devastating cyberattacks, for example, ransomware like LockerGoga crippling industrial organizations, either by shutting down operations or demanding costly ransoms. The good news? There are simple steps to take, which can limit the chances of it happening to you. Corporate revenge? Hackers for hire? Cyberwarfare? Collateral damage of malware? Motivations and reasons behind industrial cyberattacks vary, but the stakes are sky-high for plants and businesses. If industrial OT systems are hacked and large machinery is compromised, there could be fatalities. Triton: Why industrial cyberattacks could cost lives Let's explore a previous industrial cyberattack. Triton is malicious software (malware) used to target Triconex, a Safety Instrumented System (SIS) – sensors and software to reduce safety risks in industrial settings – used in power stations and petrochemical plants. In 2017, hackers attacked a Saudi Arabian petrochemical plant with Triton. But, luckily (and somewhat ironically), a bug in the malware halted the attack in its tracks. The hackers' intentions were unknown, but the infiltration of the system could have put the plant and its workers in jeopardy. Could it have been stopped otherwise? Yes, but only with the right cybersecurity measures. There's a significant challenge here: IT security is new to industrial workplaces, and it's only been a requirement in the last decade; in some cases, it's non-existent. Plus, many IT teams and engineering squads don't have the training to work effectively together to spot a threat that's unfolding in real-time. OT engineers may be unaware of how to detect the signs of an attack and look for other faults like machinery, human error or asset misconfiguration. Want to protect your business? Update your security systems and start training your workforce. How to minimize the chances of a cyberattack Let's explore how to defend operational technologies (OT) that operate machines and make them easier to manage and monitor plant safety, among other things. To start, you need an industrial endpoint security product – software that can help you protect all your devices and network from hackers. This is crucial. Once you have this, you need to use all the endpoint features effectively (this is called system hardening) to make it harder for hackers to get into your network. Also, use an OT network security monitoring solution (this is usually hardware) to detect the signs of attack on controllers and other equipment. Why training employees to be cyber-aware is crucial for defending your business Kaspersky reported 52 percent of enterprise breaches happen after employees' inappropriate IT use. With lives at stake, when it comes to cybersecurity, your employees need to know not just what to stay away from but how to keep secure. Here's how. Train everyone in cybersecurity It's not just IT teams that need cybersecurity training; everyone from engineers to finance managers need it. But, that said, your primary focus should be with your IT and IT security teams. OTs are typically not in their remit. They need time to learn how to secure them and work alongside operational engineers. Everyone is responsible for preventing an attack. Book in time to train everyone. Differentiate the training for IT, engineers and operations. Engineer, operations and other groups need theoretical teaching and practical exercises but pitched to their level of expertise. For IT security teams, exercises should include red and blue teaming. Red teams try to attack your organization while the blue teams defend it. This is an attack simulation using real-world cyberattack scenarios and case studies, like the 2015 attack on a Ukrainian power grid. Here, hackers orchestrated a spear-phishing attack to gain access to the operating system, then disabled power across the affected regions for between one and six hours. It's a practical way to assess the capabilities of your cybersecurity team. Lockdown activities on corporate devices Engineers or other personnel may use work devices outside the plant, like when traveling to meetings or other sites. They will most likely use corporate devices for personal use. By browsing social media on a work laptop, employees are exposed to different materials that could be malicious. Using USB sticks from outside your organization can carry a significant risk of bringing malware into your network. Explain the importance of using work devices only for work and not personal use. Retrain and refresh Retraining is critical, especially as your organization continues its digital transformation. People forget things, especially if it's not a day-to-day task. To keep protected, your education efforts must be consistent, not just one-off. The future of industrial cybersecurity As the industrial sector evolves, technology like the internet of things (IoT) will become more critical to the success of the industry. Industrial IOT and smart sensors could enable anything from control systems automation to predictive maintenance. As the industrial sector becomes more connected, it will benefit society and improve business productivity. But, like any technological shift, cyber-threats will evolve with it. By taking measures to secure your technologies and educate your employees, you minimize the chances of falling foul of a cyberattack, saving money and lives.
Stemettes STEM training

Young women may be the answer to cybersecurity’s skills gap

  • min read
    • If there's a regular path into tech, Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE didn't take it. A child prodigy, she was the youngest girl ever to pass A-level (high school) computing. At 20, she graduated UK's Oxford University with a Masters in Maths and Computer Science. Anne-Marie's inspiration to turn her hand to social enterprise came from a stark realization. Attending a work conference in the US, she decided she wanted to change things for women who came after her. "It turned out to be a massive 'women in tech' conference. I had a bit of an epiphany. I'd always been a girl and had always been into tech, and had never noticed that was something strange," she explains. "So I started Stemettes as a response to that, to ensure my unborn daughters could be what they want to be, and thrive, because society depends on it." What Stemettes is changing Stemettes work across the UK, Ireland and beyond to inspire and support young women into science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) careers. It includes a content platform full of inspiration, free events and programs such as mentoring, school holiday programs and regular clubs – provided online in the age of COVID-19, in person at other times. "Our ethos across is it's always free, always fun and there's always food," Anne-Marie adds. The idea the tech industry needs more women and girls might seem a little old-hat in 2020. Much has been achieved, but women make up only 10 percent of the global cybersecurity workforce. The cybersecurity skills gap shows there's no room to let any interested young person go without the chance to get more involved. Stemettes has created cybersecurity courses and opportunities for young women where schools aren't yet catering for their interests. Along with British tech skills training provider QA, they've developed certification academies so young women between 17 and 25 can gain professional cybersecurity qualifications over half-term. The skills gap is more complex than you think Anne-Marie thinks there are a few elements to the cyber-skills gap problem across the industry. Understanding them can help inform where and how teaching skills to girls can have most impact. First, there's a lack of focus on basic digital skills across the board. Second, many more people need expert cyber-skills to build the industry and meet its demand. Third, there needs to be more focus on cybersecurity services for small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) using digital technologies. "There's a gap in not just cyber-awareness for SMBs, but also cybersecurity services and advice aimed at and priced for them. When I was younger, there were a lot of people, and social media agencies, who'd go to their local high street and say, "Hey, barber, pay me each month and I'll run your Facebook and your Instagram." There's a cottage industry around that, but we don't have that for cybersecurity. We've ended up having a lot of vulnerabilities because people aren't following basic cyber-hygiene." It's bigger than just SMBs turning their businesses digital, though. Anne-Marie says, "There's so much in building systems, even just for us to be able to vote electronically in the future. There's a lot that needs to be developed in the cyberspace just to keep us safe. We don't have enough people with these skills to work in these companies and run these start-ups." Why teaching girls can be the solution In creating the Stemettes Certification Academy, Anne-Marie saw an opportunity for girls not only to be better trained in cyber-skills, but be able to jump into the profession armed with expertise and qualifications. "We spotted from the girls we work with that the provision in the normal education system for anyone who wants to be in computer science is patchy. So academically, they're not able to pursue things they're interested in, or getting blocked from being able to develop skills they'll need when working," Anne-Marie explains. "These girls are learning from real trainers who teach and work professionally in cybersecurity. They're doing real adult qualifications in cyber to learn the basics, but also to understand their options in cyber." For Anne-Marie, Stemettes is playing a role bigger than just filling the current skills gap. "We're skilling up with real certifications and a generation of new young women who can work in cyber, but even if they choose not to, they take cyber-knowledge into medicine, architecture or other parts of life they touch." How should businesses get involved? Stemettes is proving there's a high impact from its focus on sharing, upskilling and awareness-raising. What does Anne-Marie think corporates working with technology could be doing? "They should fund any kind of cyber-awareness, or cyber-skills, programs around them. They need to invest in future skills and skills of their people. They should also open their doors and do as much sharing in the community around them. I get that if you make money from your cyber-knowledge, giving it away for free isn't the easiest. Still, much is already public in skills frameworks, so they can be part of information dissemination to society. That would be amazing." Stemettes is just one organization supporting routes for girls and women into technology. Kaspersky partners with Girls In Tech, a STEM organization for women, and Cyber Starts, its EU campaign to support early talent women which has hosted events in London, UK and Boston, USA with inspiring female industry speakers. It also hosts the Women in cybersecurity Facebook group to support those entering and working in the field. It might seem like Anne-Marie is asking a lot, but the need for a long-term approach in investing in cyber-skills is ever more pertinent in 2020 as the world demands more, better, faster technology. As she puts it: "It ultimately makes their job easier."
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About Secure Futures

Secure Futures magazine is your go-to business guide for opinions, trends and insight into the world of technology and cybersecurity. We help your business to bring on the future. Brought to you by Kaspersky, the global cybersecurity experts.

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