On May 22, Durham College (DC) hosted the IBM Cyber Day for Girls, to create cyber-security awareness for girls in grades 7 and 8, while igniting their curiosity to learn about exciting opportunities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math).

Throughout a full day of games and activities, the attendees learned about protecting their on-line identities, securing the Internet of Things, creating strong passwords and avoiding phishing attacks.

 According to The 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study: Women in Cyber Security, women are globally underrepresented in the cyber-security profession at 11 per cent. Thus, the workshop also encouraged the girls to develop skills in STEM-related disciplines and explore exciting opportunities in the field.

 The attendees had the opportunity to talk with female IBM designers and engineers to learn what it’s like to work in the tech industry. They also met with alumni, faculty and students from DC’s School of Business, IT & Management to explore how studying in STEM programs such as Computer Programmer or Information Systems Security – Computers and Networking will give them the tools to shape their future.

 Since 2016, IBM Cyber Day for Girls events have been hosted in the U.S., Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Nigeria, to promote cyber-security education.