21 Jul 50 Women In Cybersecurity Associations And Groups To Follow

A special list compiled by the Editors at Cybercrime Magazine

– Steve Morgan, Editor-in-Chief

Sausalito, Calif. – Apr. 26, 2024

Cybercrime Magazine is committed to presenting the true face of women in cybersecurity.

New research shows that women make up around 25 percent of the cybersecurity workforce. We believe it’s important to get the word out that women are wanted, respected, and valued in the ever-going fight against cyber thieves.

Our popular book — Women Know Cyber: 100 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime — is dedicated to all the women in the industry. We want to increase the number in the title from 100 to 1,000 to 100,000 and beyond — and move the needle toward 50 percent.

There’s no shortage of associations, Twitter lists, LinkedIn groups, and meetups for women in cybersecurity. Virtually any woman who wants to connect and interact with her peers can become a member of the following:

Cybercrime TV: Women Know Cybersecurity

Moving beyond the 20 percent

Associations

• The Australian Women in Security Network (AWSN) is connecting, supporting, collaborating and inspiring women in security across Australia and abroad. Whether you are a security professional with years of experience or a student interested in pursuing a career in security, there is something for you in this group.
• Breaking Barriers Women in CyberSecurity (BBWIC) aims to build cyber champions in the industry by providing a place where existing/new women in cybersecurity can envision growing as a leader and industry leaders can find a place to share their ideas and work together with peers across the globe. 
• CErcle des Femmes de la CYberSécurité (CEFSYS) — “Women’s Circle of Cybersecurity” — is an organization of French women in the cybersecurity field. In addition, it welcomes men who wish to work to advance the presence and impact of women in the professions related to information systems security.
• CybHER provides resources for women and girls, from middle school through college and into professional careers, with the goal of empowering, motivating, educating, and changing the perception of girls and women in cybersecurity. Its most notable project is GenCyber Girls in CybHER Security Camp —  supported by the NSA and the largest girls-only residential camp in the country.
• The Diana Initiative is a non-profit corporation that encourages diversity and supports women who want to pursue a career in information security. The initiative also provides scholarships to three students for its annual conference.
• The European Cyber Security Organisation created Women4Cyber, an initiative to increase women’s participation in the cyber field to meet the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals in Europe. 
• The Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) on Information Security, Risk Management & Privacy has engaged over 10,000 women since 2002. The EWF provides education, mentorship and leadership development programs for women at every level of their career as well as a National Conference attended by over 500 emerging and accomplished leaders. The EWF partners with over 700 world-class Corporate Benefactors to achieve their mission.
• Girls4Tech is an educational program created by Mastercard to inspire young girls to pursue STEM careers through a fun, engaging curriculum that includes topics such as encryption, biometrics, fraud detection, and detective work — all of them skills needed for cybersecurity.
• The Information Systems Security Association International (ISSA) sponsors leadership training, mentoring, and networking programs for all cybersecurity professionals. It has a special interest group for women who strive to enhance their knowledge of cybersecurity as a whole and promotes the involvement of women in the field.
• InfoSecGirls is a community for diverse members to learn and support each other. The main objective is to get women curious about information security by encouraging more women to actively participate in events like security conferences and community meet-ups.
• Inteligenca is a non-profit organization that supports women to make career changes in cybersecurity. It recently launched 100 Women in 100 Days — an initiative that is dedicated to upping the number of women in cybersecurity, increasing representation in the hope that young girls will learn about the field, and helping 100 women restart their careers.
• SEIDEA – BME Women In Cybersecurity is a social enterprise that exists to close the cybersecurity gender gap faced by black and ethnic minority women through community projects, events, and campaigns.
• SHe CISO Exec. is designed with a vision to be a sustainable global training and mentoring platform in information security and leadership. The program will create a talent pool of female cybersecurity leaders. 
• Uniting Women in Cyber celebrates the success of today’s female leaders in cybersecurity. UWIC promotes many activities and meetups throughout the year to cultivate relationships among female leaders.
• WOMCY – LATAM Women in Cybersecurity is the first membership organization in Latin America formed by cybersecurity professionals that aims to increase the presence of women in cybersecurity in all Latin American organizations. It promotes networking, mentoring, and special programs to spread awareness about the field of cybersecurity.
• Women CyberSecurity Society (WCS2) works to build workforce capacity, advance and retain women in cybersecurity.  it supports diversity and inclusion in the industry while strengthening Canada’s national and economic security. 
• The Women CyberSecurity Society (WCSS) is a non-profit dedicated to providing support to women and minorities interested in a cybersecurity career.  They provide scholarships, mentoring, coaching, training, workshops and more. They currently have seven chapters globally and instituted a global movement, International Women in Cyber Day (IWCD), which brings awareness to the unique challenges women face in this industry and celebrates their achievements.
• Women in Cyber Security (WiCS) inspires the next generation for a career in cybersecurity through STEM programs in local schools, as well as working with universities to help students understand what it means to be a security expert.
• Women in Cyber Security Middle East was formed to promote and increase women’s participation in the field of cybersecurity and build a strong, dependable, and increasing network of passionate female cyber security professionals in the Middle East and African countries.
• Women in Defense (WID) — incorporated in 1985 and an affiliate of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), cultivates and supports the advancement and recognition of women in all aspects of national security — including cybersecurity. The WID Annual National Conference features keynote speakers from NASA, NSA, DHS, CyberCom and StratCom.
• Women in Security and Privacy (WISP) promotes the development, advancement, and inclusion of women in the cybersecurity field. WISP’s calendar is an excellent resource providing a list of their own innovative events alongside other women in cyber events, and various security and hacker conferences in the U.S.
• Women in Security – Kansas City provides a focus for women in information security through peer mentoring, workshops, and networking opportunities. Open to women at all levels of their career, WiS-KC offers scholarships and other opportunities for young girls to enter the field.
• Women Leading Privacy is a space for women cybersecurity professional to give and get career support, to help advance women in the field, and to expand their personal and professional networks
• The Women’s Security Alliance (WomSA) provides mentorship, training and networking opportunities for women entering, re-entering, or advancing in the cybersecurity workforce.
• Lisa Jiggetts is founder of the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC), a non-profit for women in cyber. Cyberjutsu sounds like a martial art — and Jiggets is a 10th-degree black belt with credentials that include MBA, CISSP, ECSA, C|EH, SCNP, MCSE, CCNA, SCSA, Network+, and A+. Her organization provides training, networking, mentorship, and a job board.

Twitter

• @ladiescyber is a global network of meetups for women in cybersecurity.
• @shehacks_ke brings together a community of some of the best ladies in information security in Kenya.
• @wicca_NL is a circle for women in cybersecurity that aims to bring the ladies of InfoSec and female security enthusiasts together.
• @WiCSME promotes and increases participation of women in the field of cybersecurity.
• @Women4Cyber brings together men and women to foster the growth of women in cybersecurity.
• @WomenCSSociety is a networked community that provides support and resources to women and girls who are interested in pursuing a career in the field of cybersecurity.
• @womencybersec is a community for women and girls in cybersecurity to meet, support each other, and share common projects and ideas.
• @WomeninCyberUK is a place for women in cybersecurity to connect, support, engage, and inspire each other.
• @WomenCyberWales offers networking and support for women working (or hoping to work) in the cyberindustry industry in Wales.
• @womenknowcyber lists thousands of leading women in cybersecurity, curated by the editors of Cybercrime Magazine.
• @WoSECtweets is a community for women and girls to meet, support, and bond with each other.

LinkedIn

• Help A Sister Up is a rallying point and initiative to promote and support women in cybersecurity.
• LATAM Cybersecurity by Women is a non-profit community that aims to encourage the participation of more women in cybersecurity, information security, and hacking.
• The League of Women in Cybersecurity (LoWiCyS) is a non-profit organization focused on helping to fill the cybersecurity workforce gap by increasing the percentage of women in the field. Their most notable initiative areas are low cost, hands-on cybersecurity education, opportunities for real-world experience, workforce entry/reentry support, and mentoring.
• Women in Security – London is an initiative formed by professionals of the Information Security field within the (ISC)² London Chapter with the mission to raise the profile of women in the information security industry.
• Women Know Cyber Group is a place to share news, work, interview tips, advice, and network with other women in cyber.

Girl Scouts of the USA

The list of women in cyber organizations would not be complete without the Girl Scouts of the USA.

With the introduction of 18 new Cybersecurity badges, Girls Scouts of all ages will be able to explore opportunities in STEM while developing problem-solving and leadership skills.

Thanks to the efforts of all the women involved in these groups, we’re happy to share 50 Women in Cyber Groups You Need to Know.

Do you know of any other association for women in cybersecurity? Contact us.

Stay tuned for more!

– Steve Morgan is founder and Editor-in-Chief at Cybersecurity Ventures.

Go here to read all of my blogs and articles covering cybersecurity. Go here to send me story tips, feedback and suggestions.

– Di Freeze, Managing Editor at Cybercrime Magazine, led the research on this compilation.

– Bethany Littman, summer intern at Cybersecurity Ventures, assisted on the compilation of associations and groups.