Oasis Magazine - Cairns & Tropical North Queensland Issue 29 - Apr | May 2019 | Page 19

In a world where technology is king,
it’s no wonder that cyber security is
becoming a strategic imperative for
organisations. However, given the
sector’s evident gender disparity,
its exponential growth has resulted
in a skills shortage.
Data indicates women represent
just 11 per cent of the Asia-Pacific
cyber security workforce, and with
Australia expected to need up to
17,600 additional cyber security
workers by 2026, the time to tap
into the female labour pool has
never been more crucial.
As a result, the Australian
Government
has
made
a
commitment to scale existing
efforts to promote cyber security as
a career for women, and tech
organisations and universities are
accelerating efforts to ensure
women see tech and security as a
viable career pathway.
Recently, Director-General of the
Australian Signals Directorate
(ASD), Mike Burgess, spoke about
their push to attract a wider range
of people to help with their
offensive cyber mission.
Australia Cyber Security Centre
(ACSC, part of ASD) Assistant
Director of Careers, Pathways and
Inclusion, Amy Roberts, said the
ACSC led a number of programs
and initiatives that promoted
cybersecurity as a career for
women of all disciplines.
“Women bring different perspec-
tives, ways of thinking and skills to
the sector, in both a technical
and non-technical capacity. Cyber
security is not just Information
Technology - it also includes
business, risk, operations and
resource
management,”
Ms
Roberts said.
“To help try and shift this culture,
ACSC offers a mentoring program
to female competitors of the
Government’s
Cyber
Security
Challenge Australia (CySCA), an
annual
‘hacking’
competition
which is open to all full-time
Australian university undergradu-
ate and undergraduate-equivalent
TAFE students.”
Women in Cyber Mentoring Event
(WICME).
“The event, an initiative that came
out of the Australian Government’s
Cyber Security Strategy, provided
me with networking and mentoring
channels, and attracted women
from
different
employment
backgrounds and of all ages,” Ms
Rickard said.
“I have a television and telecommu-
nication background, and a passion
for network security, so it was
surprising
to
see
women
with business, communications,
Cairns-based CQUniversity ICT marketing and law qualifications in
Discipline
Lead
and
Senior attendance.
Lecturer, Steven Gordon, said the
University offered many avenues for “I’ve come to learn that the word
women to enter the sector at any ‘cyber security’ often leads some
women to think of it from a
age.
technical aspect, when really it is
“Across its national footprint, much more than that - it’s an area
CQUniversity
offers
several of ongoing learning and ample job
ICT-related courses, including a opportunities.
Bachelor of IT, which includes a
Network Security specialisation, a “The profession is magic, and to
Master of IT and a Master of those women who are considering
entering the sector, I say go
Information Systems.
for it. Work hard, make contacts,
“CQUniversity also offers six subscribe to newsletters, take an
Bachelor of ICT units to years 10, 11 elective in ICT – don’t let anything
and 12 high school students, as stop you.”
part of its Start Uni Now (SUN)
initiative, and has been host to the More emerging ICT experts, like
Queensland
STEM
Superhero Melanie, are needed to address the
Ambassador Program, run by the current complex cyber security
Tech Girls Movement, and a challenges, and hopefully through
heightened awareness and tailored
participant of CySCA.”
initiatives, this can be achieved.
As a result of participating in
CySCA, Cairns-based CQUniversity To view CQUniversity ICT-related
Bachelor of Information Technology courses, visit
student, Melanie Rickard, was https://www.cqu.edu.au/cours-
recently invited to the Sydney es/find-a-course
A UNI THAT KNOWS
YOU’RE READY
If you’re returning to study or work after some time away, CQUniversity Australia knows what
you need to succeed. Our Skills for Tertiary Education Preparatory Studies (STEPS) is a free,
Centrelink-approved enabling course, tailored to you and your unique study goals. It will
succeed at university. Choose to study when and where it suits you, either on campus
or online, full or part time. There’s never been a better time to get the career you have
always dreamed of.
Find out more at cqu.edu.au/steps.
– Jo Dell, CQUni Alumni and
STEPS graduate.
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