‘Alice in Cyberspace’ Conference Nurtures Women’s Interest, Representation in Cybersecurity
HAMILTON, NJ – In its third installation, the “Alice in Cyberspace” Conference at Kean University held on January 12th aimed to enhance women’s interest in cybersecurity while increasing participation in a field where females have historically been under-represented.
The New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, a division of the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness, hosted the free, six-hour conference with more than 300 women in attendance.
“Studies indicate that women make up less than a quarter of the global cybersecurity workforce,” said NJOHSP Director Laurie Doran. “While cybersecurity capabilities and awareness improve daily, the threat and sophistication of cyberattacks are keeping pace. Diversity and women’s perspectives are advantageous to any career field, but especially in the cybersecurity realm.”
Adding to the networking element of the event, conference attendees partook in an on-site career fair where representatives from both public and private-sector organizations provided cybersecurity career guidance, industry insights, education and potential job opportunities.
“The demand for cybersecurity is robust and growing with nearly 14,000 job openings for cyber professionals in New Jersey,” said NJCCIC Director Mike Geraghty. “Cyber has historically been a male-dominated profession; however, all STEM-related fields benefit from increased diversity and the capabilities, problem-solving skills and ingenuity demonstrated by women.”
This year’s “Alice in Cybersecurity” Conference speakers included:
- Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Senior Policy Manager Lauren Zabierek
- Hetherington Group President Cynthia Hetherington
- Cloud Security Alliance Board member Alexandra Tarabour
- CrowdStrike Solutions Engineer Nina Padavil
- Kean University Director of the Center for Cybersecurity Stanley J. Mierzwa
- SpaceX Security Engineer Swathi Parthiba
- NJCCIC Director Michael Geraghty
- NJCCIC subject matter experts
For more information on New Jersey’s one-stop shop for cybersecurity, visit the NJCCIC's website, cyber.nj.gov.
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