Today, in recognition of International Women’s Day, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) in order to work even closer together to bridge the gender gap in cybersecurity.
The MOU outlines opportunities for the two organizations to formally partner on bringing awareness to the incredible careers in the industry and building a pipeline for the next generation of women in cybersecurity. WiCyS, a nonprofit organization dedicated to recruiting, retaining and advancing women in cybersecurity, shares a common interest with CISA to close the gender gap in technology and inspire the next generation of cybersecurity leaders.
“As a senior leader in cyber, one of my top priorities is to inspire more women and girls to see themselves in cyber and join this exciting and impactful field,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “I was thrilled last year to join WiCyS at their annual conference where I announced a call to action of achieving 50% women and underrepresented minorities in the cybersecurity field by 2030. Today as we celebrate International Women’s Day, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than to formalize our partnership and shared mission to bring more women into cybersecurity.”
“We’re thrilled to be partnering with CISA to strengthen the community of women in cybersecurity and the greater cybersecurity workforce. Our collaboration will ensure that more women and other under-represented groups will have the tools and resources to jumpstart their career in cyber and be supported throughout their journey,” said Lynn Dohm, executive director of WiCyS. “CISA’s goals align perfectly with WiCyS’ mission to develop a stronger, more inclusive workforce, and we look forward to collaborating with CISA to recruit and retain more women in the field.”
One activity the organizations will first pursue is CISA’s participation in WiCyS’ mentorship program. This program matches professional women in cyber with those women new to the field to help them prepare for advancement at all levels of their cybersecurity career.
The cybersecurity workforce shortage is not only a concern within the U.S. government, but across the industry and across the nation. Watch Director Easterly’s remarks at the 2022 Women in CyberSecurity Annual Conference.
