Empowering women in cybersecurity: How HTB is bridging the gender gap

Although March 8th is the official date for International Women’s Day, we at Hack The Box are proud to celebrate inclusivity and diversity in the cybersecurity workforce all year long. Addressing gender disparities and creating an industry with equal representation is an important mission for HTB, and as a leader in the cybersecurity education field, we’re excited to share our commitment to diversity and inclusion.

In 2022, women held only 25% of global cybersecurity roles. While that number is expected to increase to 30% by 2025, it proves there is still significant progress needed to address the lack of diversity in an industry with 3.5 million unfilled positions. 

Creating an inclusive environment increases innovation and problem-solving by bringing together different perspectives from a skilled workforce that has long been underrepresented. Breaking down the barriers to entry has never been more important than now, especially when it comes to not only attracting but retaining the best cybersecurity talent.

“I was first introduced to Hack The Box by management, and the fact that it's a guided approach to learning, it's very helpful for the beginners to try to learn the fundamentals in cyber.” said Yu Lou, Security Engineering Manager at Toyota North America. “I was so excited, I sent Hack The Box an email telling them whoever put together the Academy is a genius. And now, I'm living the experience of Toyota's continuous improvement philosophy.”

This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to highlight the programs we’re working on to empower women in cybersecurity. 

On March 5, we hosted an exclusive webinar roundtable with cybersecurity leaders to discuss the influence of inclusivity and what we all can do to combat the gender gap. Moderated by Allison Jones, the webinar will feature experts Col. Lauren A. Courchaine, LT Kaitlyn DeValk and Jessica Gulick in a panel discussion. Key takeaways from this webinar include how to recruit and retain skilled personnel, the opportunities available in cybersecurity, and how to encourage and engage with other women in cybersecurity. 

We’re also excited to announce our continued partnership with PlayCyber in our joint mission of increasing female representation in the security field. We’ve teamed up for the inaugural Wicked6 Cyber Battle, a global, all-women's team cyber games tournament, which will be played on Hack The Box's virtual Hacking Battlegrounds. Hosted on March 29 and 30, this workforce development event will provide the opportunity for thousands of women globally to play cyber games to collaborate, develop cyber skills, and advance in their careers. 

"We need more women in cyber, so we’re excited to partner with Hack The Box for an all-women's tournament to compete and collaborate," said Jessica Gulick, CEO at Katzcy. "Each year, thousands of women from around the world participate in cyber esports, we’re proud to encourage these women to join a Wicked6 team. Cyber gaming builds confidence while also upskilling in a fun, team environment, helping women to pursue well-paying, fulfilling cybersecurity careers."

Partnerships like these, along with continuing the conversation about gender diversity in cybersecurity, will be key for an inclusive future. Together, we can shatter stereotypes, champion inclusivity, and pave the way for a future where every opportunity is accessible. And we’d like to invite seasoned professionals and cybersecurity enthusiasts alike on this journey toward a more diverse workforce. Let's continue to work together to make a lasting impact. Happy International Women’s Day!

About Hack The Box

Hack The Box is a leading gamified cybersecurity upskilling, certification, and talent assessment platform enabling individuals, businesses, government institutions, and universities to sharpen their offensive and defensive security expertise. Launched in 2017, Hack The Box brings together the largest global cybersecurity community of more than 2m platform members and is on a mission to create and connect cyber-ready humans and organizations through highly engaging hacking experiences that cultivate out-of-the-box thinking. Offering a fully guided and exploratory skills development environment, Hack The Box is the ideal solution for cybersecurity professionals and organizations to continuously enhance their cyber-attack readiness by improving their red, blue, and purple team capabilities. Rapidly growing its international footprint and reach, Hack The Box is headquartered in the UK, with additional offices in Greece and the US.

For more information, please visit hackthebox.com  

About PlayCyber

PlayCyber inspires, promotes, and coordinates a robust global community working together to advance and grow a diverse cybersecurity workforce by engaging in exciting games that build cybersecurity skills, inspire teamwork, and foster leadership to promote a more secure digital world. The signature event of the PlayCyber® Women's Global League, WICKED6 is an annual 24-hour virtual event where women can play cyber games and learn about cyber careers. PlayCyber is operated by Katzcy LLC, a certified Woman-Owned Small Business (WOSB).

Visit https://www.katzcy.com to learn more.