Security Divas Sweden welcomed eleven female role models who offered important insights into information impact, data protection and current perspectives on cyber security.
The eleven speakers included representatives from MSB and the Swedish Psychological Defence Agency as well as companies and researchers.
– The focus of the conference is to highlight non-male pioneers in a traditionally male-dominated field. “I think it is important to celebrate and highlight these leaders as a source of inspiration and as a way to challenge and change societal norms,” says Ala Sarah Alaqra, Associate Professor of Informatics at Karlstad University and one of the organisers of Security Divas Sweden.
In addition to regional and national speakers, the conference also featured more international guests such as Marit Hansen, State Data Protection Commissioner from ULD in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, and Peggy Lill Sandbekken, Director of the Centre for Cyber and Information Security at NTNU in Norway.
Peggy was one of the founders of the Norwegian model Security Divas, which today is a well-established conference with hundreds of visitors. The interest in the start of Security Divas Sweden was also great.
– “It’s fantastic that we were able to gather so many interested and committed participants to the conference and network for the first time. The interest in cyber security is great and there is a great need for more talent in the industry, so highlighting role models is important, says Ingrid Ivars, innovation leader at Compare and initiator of Security Divas Sweden.
Ingrid is project manager for Cross Border Cyber Capacity (CBCC), a project funded by Interreg Sweden-Norway with Compare and Karlstad University as two of the partners. It is within this project Security Divas Sweden emerged as an exchange. The conference was funded by Interreg Sweden-Norway and Cybercampus Sweden via Vinnova.
In addition to Ingrid and Ala Sarah, Security Divas Sweden has also been organised by Simone Fischer-Hübner, Professor of Computer Science at Karlstad University. She agrees with her co-organisers that Security Divas is an important conference to give a voice to female role models in cybersecurity.
– “Security Divas is important for creating opportunities for female cybersecurity experts and women interested in the field to mingle and network. “Sweden, like other countries with a high degree of gender equality, unfortunately has a low percentage of women in STEM professions or studying STEM subjects,” she says.
– However, research shows that diversity in cybersecurity teams is crucial to achieving excellence. Therefore, the CBCC project and Cybercampus Sweden also aim to engage more women in cybersecurity, with Security Divas being one activity to contribute to this goal.
Security Divas Sweden will act as an engine to create arenas where female talents in the field are highlighted, offered support and inspired to be part of the future of information security, as well as encouraged to take leading roles in the industry.
The conference is the starting point and Security Divas Sweden will not only live on as a conference concept but also as a network for women in tech and information security.
Read Karlstad University’s article about the conference HERE.
Read more on the Security Divas Sweden page
