The Guru Cyber Allyance

Two formidable female tech leaders have joined forces to launch an innovative new leadership development and mentoring platform for the cyber community - Leading Cyber.  Danielle Phillips, Founder and Managing Director of Durham based Inside Out, and Director at CyberNorth has collaborated with Annabel Berry, Founder of The Lamplight, experienced CEO, and Chair of the Strategic Board at CyberNorth, and the duo have headed to Dubai to launch the new company to audiences at GISEC Global 2024.  Leading Cyber was unveiled...

According to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), only 17% of the UK cyber sector workforce is female, and this is down from 22% in 2022. To make matters worse, we’re fighting a losing battle against an ever-increasing cyber skills gap. In fact, there’s a shortfall of over 11,000 people to meet the demands of the UK workforce. This issue isn’t exclusive to the UK, however, with ENISA reporting a 300,000 person shortfall...

Cybersecurity is ‘inclusive’ by nature: no one is exempt from the fallout of the expanding cyber threat landscape. The notion, therefore, that some groups of individuals are offered fewer opportunities to join the cyber industry than others is frankly absurd. ISC2’s latest Cybersecurity Workforce Study gives us a snapshot into the supply and demand of cybersecurity talent – and it’s not good news. While the cyber workforce has grown by 8.7%, the skills gap has...

The ethos of continuous learning and adaptability has played a major role in my tech industry experience. I've come to recognize the importance of adopting a growth mindset and embracing challenges as avenues for growth. I’ve always been curious, this was strengthened during my military service in an intelligence unit, propelled me into the world of cyber threats and cybersecurity. During this time, I've realised the importance of continuous learning and commitment, particularly within the...

It's no secret that the gender gap in cybersecurity is a worldwide issue, with women currently representing only 24% of the global cybersecurity workforce. This gender disparity can be coined as a ‘glass firewall’ - cybersecurity’s version of the glass ceiling - with barriers ranging from cultural biases to limited advancement opportunities that several women face while climbing the cyber ladder. This reality is disappointing considering cybersecurity is an incredibly rewarding career for all, and...

Women represent only 30% of the global cybersecurity workforce, reflecting a slow growth rate and pervasive social inequalities. As we witness a concerning increase in cyber harm and a widening skills gap within the industry, it becomes imperative to engage more women in cybersecurity. Diversity is not merely a desirable trait; it’s a fundamental necessity in our fight against cyber threats. The effectiveness of our defense strategies hinges on the varied perspectives and expertise brought...

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are now well established in cybersecurity with only 8% of businesses saying they did not have any, according to the ISC2 Cybersecurity Workforce Study 2023. But while these are well-established internally, businesses are still failing to communicate their commitment when recruiting, stacking the odds against applicants from diverse or minority backgrounds. The report warns that in times of economic uncertainty and given the huge skills gap, which is rising...

For some time now, there has been a worrying lack of the requisite skills around cloud security, data security, and application security. Especially within the mid and senior level. Part of the reason is that cloud architectures and the ever more distributed systems we are now used to today has created new attack surfaces that require specialised skills to secure. Here, there is a real shortage of engineers who are well-versed in techniques like cloud...

ISACA has announced its participation in the Erasmus+ program’s SHE@CYBER project. This initiative, under the EC Cooperation partnerships in vocational education and training, is a concerted effort to address the cybersecurity skills gap in Europe, with a particular focus on empowering women and underrepresented groups in the field. The SHE@CYBER project, coordinated by Vernian RTI - Research, Technology and Innovation, is a comprehensive strategy aimed at enhancing Europe’s cybersecurity resilience and championing diversity within the sector. The...

By Jasmine Harrison PC.dp, Account Manager - Data Protection People Women play an important role in the field of data protection, bringing diverse perspectives and ethical considerations into an area that can be a minefield for many. This often leads to the creation of groundbreaking solutions that meet the varied needs of diverse groups, establishing fair and equitable data protection policies tailored to the specific concerns of different demographics.  Despite the challenges, the cybersecurity workforce...