Happy end of year from the WiCyS team!

What a fabulous year it has been for WiCyS Australia Affiliate as we worked together to attract, promote and retain women in cybersecurity! We kicked off the year with our in-person and virtual meet and greets, spotlighting privacy law changes with advocate and lawyer Taylah Spirovski. Followed by a very informative session on cybersecurity job market in Australia with Jasmine McCrudden & Carl McDonald from Sustain Recruit, together with CISO, Faizal Janif. We collaborated with LaTrobe University onsite to create job readiness content for cybersecurity undergraduates with Associate Professor Leanne Ngo. A definite highlight for many of our members and team was AISA Cybercon in Melbourne. The booth was buzzing as a meeting spot in-between workshops and sessions. And we wrapped up the year with the incredibly accomplished and generous Helen Patton, our Aussie in the US, and author of “Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path”. All this, as well as scholarship and training opportunities from WiCyS global. I hope there was something in there to help you on your Cybersecurity career journey.

Look out for AISA in Canberra and Melbourne next year, and the invitation continues for students who are looking to boost their cybersecurity experience by starting a Student Chapter at your university. We are happy to support you.

We put a lot of effort into attracting and promoting women in cybersecurity, but it is equally important to retain women. A valuable edition in Women In Security magazine focusses on this challenge. Some holiday reading if you’re interested. https://lnkd.in/gH99gYe (subscription is free)

From WiCyS Australia team – happy holidays and look forward to supporting you next year!

Fiona Byrnes – WiCyS Australia Affiliate President 

In Case You Missed It - WiCyS Australia Presents: Helen Patton

Helen Patton, author of Navigating the Cybersecurity Career Path, is a trailblazer in the cybersecurity world, currently serving as a strategic cybersecurity advisor at Cisco. With an illustrious background, she has previously held roles such as CISO for the Cisco Security Business Group, Advisory CISO, and CISO at The Ohio State University. 

With a wealth of experience and a passion for empowering others, Helen's book is a roadmap to success in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting, Helen's book provides invaluable advice, real-world strategies, and insider tips to help you thrive in this rapidly evolving industry. 

Watch this session for an engaging Q&A session with Helen where she shares her insights into the latest trends in cybersecurity and provides excellent advice and tips on career advancement.

Don't forget to subscribe to the WiCyS Australia YouTube channel where we post recordings of our sessions!

Dr Elena Sitnikova 

Associate Professor Elena Sitnikova, our WiCyS Australia affiliate Director of academia, travelled to the UK to talk about her research and discuss opportunities for future international collaborations. She attended the sessions at the 2023 Cyber-SHIP Lab annual symposium at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London and talked about consequences of cyber-physical in the critical maritime sector. The researchers from University of Plymouth were leading discussions on resilience for the sector.

It was a great opportunity to meet new researchers and practitioners in the field ,and it was also really exciting to see Chris Kubeka, from HypaSec, my old friend and collaborator who was an opening keynote speaker for our WiCyS Australia affiliate for our very first event. We had a good time together and learned a lot from other speakers, who are some of the world’s top cybersecurity experts, networking and great audience insights.  

Dr Elena Sitnikova  PhD, BE(Hon), CSSLP, SFHEA

WiCyS Australia Director of Academia 

Photo Diary Recap of WiCyS Australia Events 2023