Newsletter
September 2024

Welcome to WiCyS September 2024!

Welcome to WiCyS Australia Affiliate’s newsletter and community, where we work together to attract, promote and retain women in cybersecurity!

Sunday, September 1st was International Women in Cyber Day. WiCyS Australia and our affiliates around the world celebrated the incredible contributions of women in cybersecurity, and used that opportunity to renew our commitment to building a more inclusive, diverse cyber workforce. At WiCyS, we’re proud to empower women and advocate for their leadership in this dynamic field. Together, we are securing the future!

In this issue:

Coffee, networking, advancing together, and the chance to Win WiCyS Membership for a year! – Join us as we meet and network in cities across Australia.
Meet us at AISA November 26-28th! Limited Free tickets for WiCyS Members!
WiCyS Profile: Bethany Dwyer - We spoke with Beth Dwyer, on her career, her journey, and her guidance and hopes for women in cybersecurity
Resources – some items that the WiCyS Australia team think might be useful!

Coffee Meet Up - September 19th (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) and September 26th (Canberra)

Meet us and other professionals, students, and colleagues, in cities across Australia!

Join us for our coffee catch-up in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide (September 19th) or Canberra (September 26th) for an opportunity to network, empower each other, break barriers, and pave the way for future generations of women in this dynamic field. Free coffee for Wicys Members, and an opportunity to win a 12 month membership to WiCyS!

Coffee Meet Up - September 19th (Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide) and September 26th (Canberra)

Win a WiCyS Membership

To win a WiCyS Membership, simply submit your favourite online cybersecurity resource as a response to this email! Our team are always on the lookout for free resources that will help to educate and empower our members, so if you have come across something that you think could be valuable – share it with us for your chance to win!

If you are interested in starting or furthering your career in cybersecurity, would like the opportunity to expand your network, or are simply interested in meeting some like-minded people who have an interest in cybersecurity or IT, do not miss our upcoming coffee morning!

Use the links below to sign up for this excellent and free event:

To stay informed and to follow for these and more events, be sure to visit our website’s event page: https://sites.google.com/wicys.org/wicysaustralia/events

Meet us at AISA November 26-28th! Limited Free tickets for WiCyS Members!

Meet us and other professionals, students, and colleagues, in cities across Australia!

We are excited to offer WiCyS Australia members the opportunity to to attend the AISA (Australian Information Security Association) Conference! This is your chance to connect with cybersecurity professionals, explore industry trends, and engage with thought leaders. For an opportunity to attend please email wicysaustralia@wicys.org and include the following by November 1:

Personal Statement (200–300 words):
- Explain why you are passionate about cybersecurity and how attending the AISA conference will help you contribute to the field. Highlight your future aspirations and how this opportunity aligns with them.
WiCyS Involvement (Optional Bonus Points):
- Describe your involvement with WiCyS, including participation in events, volunteering, or mentoring others in the community.

WiCyS Profile: Beth Dwyer

Beth Dwyer, who is a Senior Information Security Consultant, has recently joined our WiCyS Australia Leadership team. I sat down and spoke with Beth about her background, her insights into the cyber industry, and how she hopes the cyber industry will adapt to enable and uplift women in the field.

Prior to starting her career, Beth studied a Bachelor of Law at university. However, she didn’t want to follow the lawyer path. “I decided to do something different! My course had an elective in cyber law, which also included privacy components, and I really enjoyed intellectual property law too. The penny dropped for me, and I thought I could pursue this as a profession!” After learning about the field of cyber law, Beth became interested in this as a career prospect. “Finally, it felt like something was clicking for me, so I wanted to pursue this.”

Beth launched her career in consulting, in a newly created cyber and digital risk team at BCG, and that was a great beginning in cyber, privacy and data governance, and gave Beth a taste for the industry. “This solidified in my mind that I was doing the right thing”, she told me.

“I decided to leave consulting and get into the industry itself, so I pursued a position at MYOB in their security function as part of the Cyber GRC team. Having the consulting experience was very valuable but I am really enjoying being in an industry position now.”

What messages would you have for women who are trying to achieve a goal in the cybersecurity industry?

“To achieve a goal, maybe that’s entering the field, obtaining a certification or landing a particular job, I find that networking and mentorship are crucial. Building a strong network and finding mentors who can provide invaluable guidance and support is important and there are many formalised programs for mentoring in the industry that you can get involved in (for example, WiCyS offers a fantastic nine month mentoring program that connects members internationally!).

Additionally, for those wanting to enter the industry, I would advise that it’s important not to get overwhelmed by the many certificates and courses available when you are just starting. There is of course a place for formal learning, but it’s not necessary to have completed every certificate under the sun! Instead, focus on tailoring your learning to the areas you are passionate about and remember, cybersecurity is broad, and you will continue to learn as you progress in the field. I’d also suggest focusing on your transferable skills such as problem-solving and communication, and perhaps gaining foundational IT experience through a support role or IT helpdesk.

Do you have any hopes for the cybersecurity industry or women in general?

“I hope that entry into the cybersecurity industry continues to grow in inclusivity to empower more collaborative work environments. I hope to see continued growth in the number of women working in the field, and more broadly women in technology, and women in leadership and executive roles.

I also believe there is a significant opportunity for us, as cyber professionals, to forge stronger connections with other industries. While the cybersecurity community already recognises the critical importance of our work, we must expand our awareness beyond to garner support from a broader audience. By enhancing cross-industry collaboration and increasing the visibility of security, we can ensure that cybersecurity is seen as an essential component of the technology lifecycle which will help us better protect our communities by deploying more secure products, services, and devices.”

Cybersecurity Resources

Cyber Careers at ADF

Stay tuned to our Events Page and LinkedIn to learn about your next potential career move to the ADF!

The Lazarus Heist

A fascinating BBC produced podcast which delves into the lengths that nation states will go to, on both the cyber-offence and cyber-defence sides of the coin.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xtvg9/episodes/downloads

TAFE Training in AI

Wanted to get a grounding in AI? TAFE are offering free courses for those who wish to get started in this emerging field

https://store.training.tafensw.edu.au/product/introduction-to-artificial-intelligence/

Chaos Engineering and Cybersecurity

How we’re using ‘chaos engineering’ to make cloud computing less vulnerable to cyber attacks

https://theconversation.com/how-were-using-chaos-engineering-to-make-cloud-computing-less-vulnerable-to-cyber-attacks-236891

OverTheWire

Terminal based, you need to connect to the host. Works best on the Kali linux terminal. https://overthewire.org/wargames/

HackThisSite

WebApp hacking. https://www.hackthissite.org/

Forage

Free cybersecurity job simulations, technical and non-technical. Teaches skills from forensics to report-writing. Comes with a certification at completion at no extra charge. https://www.theforage.com/simulations?careers=security

DVWA: Within Kali Linux

Practice different kinds of attacks at easy, medium, and hard levels. https://www.kali.org/tools/dvwa/

Kali Purple SOC in a Box:

Ultimate guide to SOC operations. https://gitlab.com/kalilinux/kali-purple/documentation and follow the YouTube link for a proper walk-through: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLyJqGMYm0vnOxMapUGkt9DfU4aTTU2vqU

Cisco Networking Academy

More education-based instead of technical but does provide a mini certification and badge. https://skillsforall.com/catalog?category=course&subject+areas=cybersecurity and https://www.netacad.com/courses/cybersecurity

Please feel free to get in touch with our team, and send any suggestions you might have to help us and our community!

Membership

To take advantage of the full benefits of WiCyS, register as a global member! Send an email to our WiCyS Australia team if you are interested, to take advantage of what our community can provide.

Global membership will enable you to network with more than 6,100 members across 69 countries, and give you access to many more benefits!