The number of women in IT security is still relatively low today. The “CYBERWOMEN 2019” forum has therefore taken on the task of gathering experts from the cyber security industry to provide a platform for professional exchange and networking. Kerstin Sittinger, Senior Security Consultant at usd AG, attended the event in Munich on 25 June – together with experts from a wide variety of fields, such as authorities, air force, recruiting, consulting and founders of their own start-ups. The agenda included not only specialist topics from the world of cyber security, but also discussions on the positioning and promotion of women in IT.
“It was a great opportunity to experience the difficulties and hurdles women face in IT. I also found it very interesting what career paths some of the women here took to get to where they are today,” reports Sittinger.
Sittinger was already familiar with the theory that teams greatly benefit from diversity : “I think that women sometimes have a different perspective on things and therefore approach problems differently. This is also evident in our Security Consulting Team at usd, in which we have about the same number of female and male colleagues. I’m pretty proud of that. What stuck with me the most was the statement that you have to win the attention of young women and girls with an interest in IT as early as possible, before their interest fades away again.
„Kerstin is picking up on a really important current issue,” adds Mareike Gass, Head of CST Academy at usd. “The CST Academy will therefore also address the topic of “Women in Cyber Security”. I am looking forward to doing my part together with my colleagues.“
