Her CyberTracks

Summary

The Her CyberTracks Project aims to promote the equal, full, and meaningful representation of women in cybersecurity for a more resilient cyberspace for all.

Additional Contact Information

womenincyber@itu.int

Details

Aim

The Her CyberTracks initiative promotes the equal, full and meaningful representation of women in cybersecurity by equipping them with the necessary skills and mindset to succeed in the field. Her CyberTracks offers a one-stop curriculum based on three pillars:

• Train: Access to curated expert training courses on technical and soft skills, delivered online and on-site.

• Mentor: Mentoring between senior cyber professionals and women at junior level to foster professional growth.

• Inspire: Inspirational webinars and networking events to promote positive role models in cybersecurity.

Context

Securing human rights and protecting information technology and political systems demands a global, open, free, stable, safe, and secure cyberspace. However, gender-specific perspectives are often overlooked in cybersecurity. Germany’s feminist foreign policy emphasizes the crucial need for equal representation in cybersecurity, aligning with broader goals of long-term peace, security, and human rights-based development. With women making up only 26% of the cybersecurity workforce, addressing this underrepresentation is vital for inclusive international norms, comprehensive strategies, fair criminal justice systems, a strong cyber workforce, and effective incident response.

Activities

Her CyberTracks currently offers the following CyberTracks for the corresponding audiences:

• Policy & Diplomacy CyberTrack: Women in policy (cyber, ICT, peace & security) and women in technical roles interested in policy/diplomacy

• Incident Response CyberTrack: Women working in IT wishing to enter cybersecurity and women at entry level in CERT/SOC teams

• Criminal Justice CyberTrack: Women working in the criminal justice sector involved in or aiming to enter cybersecurity and countering cybercrime fields

Her CyberTracks currently addresses women in the public sector from West Africa, the Western Balkans, and selected Eastern Partnership countries. A regional expansion is planned for 2025.

GIZ and ITU jointly implement the Policy & Diplomacy CyberTrack and Incident Response CyberTrack, while UNODC implements the Criminal Justice CyberTrack.

Her CyberTracks offers a five-month curriculum, blending online live with self-paced courses, personalized mentorship, and inspirational webinars. The journey culminates in the Her CyberTracks Regional Forum, an on-site event featuring soft skills masterclasses, simulations and hands-on exercises, mentorship circles, study visits to cybersecurity organisations, and engaging networking events.

Outcomes

The comprehensive Her CyberTracks curriculum has demonstrated its effectiveness. In 2023, 101 participants completed the program, with 93% expressing high satisfaction.

Her CyberTracks allows not only to foster participants’ expertise and confidence but also facilitates a robust network of cybersecurity professionals in the public sector. This network has proven instrumental in encouraging collaboration, enhancing information-sharing, and building confidence both within and across regions.

Additional information

Her CyberTracks is funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (FFO) and jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Global Programme on Cybercrime of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Her CyberTracks is part of the Partnership for Strengthening Cybersecurity project, implemented by GIZ on behalf of the FFO and with support of the European Commission, that aims to reinforce selected bilateral and regional partners’ capabilities to prevent, mitigate and respond to cybersecurity threats, and to improve collaboration of strategic partners with Germany to protect the global cyberspace.

Her CyberTracks Partners

Her CyberTracks collaborates with partners in advancing gender equality in cybersecurity. In 2023, Her CyberTracks worked with the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre and Cyber Security Authority of Ghana in West Africa, and with the Western Balkans Cyber Capacity Centre for its activities in Europe. Cyber diplomacy trainings were designed and delivered by DiploFoundation, the Centre for Experiential Negotiation and Applied Diplomacy, and ICT4Peace Foundation. Finally, the 2023 edition was possible through in-kind contributions from various partners, including FIRST, GFCE, Microsoft, Chatham House, Association for Progressive Communications, and Women4Cyber.