Building a Women Focused Cybersecurity Army
Tanisha Bassan — November 2022
Over the past few years I’ve spent most of my energy in the quantum computing industry, recently completing an internship at Amazon on their quantum computing team.
As I’ve gained more work experience I’ve begun noticing the importance of cybersecurity in all aspects of our lives. It first started with exploring post-quantum cryptography, then reflecting on my experience working at Amazon, a highly technical and integrated technology company. I got a taste of cloud computing, security infrastructures and complicated computer networks. I realized keeping our data secure on the internet is a tricky operation and how easy it is to find vulnerabilities in our systems.
Just a few months later, there was an article from TechCrunch that highlighted an Amazon server with data on Prime Video watching habits exposed completely to the internet.
It feels like every other day another tech startup is caught red-faced spilling reams of data across the internet because of a lapse in security. But even for technology giants like Amazon, it’s easy to make mistakes.
Security researcher Anurag Sen found a database packed with Amazon Prime viewing habits stored on an internal Amazon server that was accessible from the internet. But because the database was not protected with a password, the data within could be accessed by anyone with a web browser just by knowing its IP address.
With important aspects of our lives being stored on the internet, the security breaches have become a personal point of concern. It has spurred me to do something about it.
Here are some articles from TechCrunch alone in the past couple of months discussing huge security breaches:
- WeWork India exposed visitors’ personal information and selfies
- Ro says it ‘inadvertently’ exposed employees’ personal information
- Revolut confirms cyberattack exposed personal data of tens of thousands of users
- Thousands of Mobike users’ passports and IDs exposed online
But where are the people keeping our internet safe? It is projected by 2025 there will be 3.5 million open jobs in cybersecurity! There is a HUGE skills gap in the industry which is only growing as cybercrime increases. By 2025 it’s projected cybercrime will cost us $10.5 trillion USD annually. We’ve already seen big tech companies like Meta, Twitter, Uber, Amazon and so many others have big breaches in their cybersecurity but what about security breaches that affect our personal safety?
Imagine you’re driving a Tesla and it gets hacked by someone with a malicious intent. Most cars are heavily computerized and Tesla’s are autonomous making them even more susceptible to an attack. Now a hacker could take control of your car and cause a deliberate life-threatening ambush. If you don’t think this is possible, my good friend David Colombo proved he could hack Tesla’s remotely from Germany!
So what about hacks in airplanes, subways, government data, banks, healthcare, defence weapons, nuclear technology and so much more? These security breaches concern the health and safety of everyone involved, a cyberterrorist that could harm the lives of thousands of people and essentially anyone on the internet.
With more than 5 billion people connected to the internet and ambitious smart city projects like The Line, we have to be more cautious than ever with how secure our computer networks are.
We need more skilled people to help guard us from cybercriminals.
Only 25% of the cybersecurity workforce identifies as women. There is a clear gender bias for what we consider a “hacker” and lack of female representation in the field.
I personally want to learn how to become an ethical hacker and eventually combine skills from quantum computing and cybersecurity in the future. But there is a lack of community, education, resources, etc. aimed towards women to help them become cybersecurity professionals.
That’s why I’m creating Cyber Amazonian, an organization to educate women and help them start their career in cybersecurity.
The Amazons in greek mythology were a warrior race of women with superior fighting capabilities. DC Comics developed Wonder Woman as an adaptation from the mythology. She is portrayed as the most powerful woman on earth and fights crime alongside the Justice League.
I want to build a real world community of Amazonians, women who are protecting the world from cybercrime.
The field is ample with opportunities, entry level jobs starting pay at $75k-$100k! It’s an amazing time to join the cybersecurity industry, there is job security and the need for more skilled professionals will only grow in the next 10–15 years.
The world needs more “women hackers” to help keep the internet safe, it’s time to change the status quo. I plan to start with myself first and develop the Cyber Amazonian organization as I hope to empower and reach more women interested in starting their career in cybersecurity.
Stay tuned for more updates! I’m excited and humbled to build such an important organization at a critical point in the technology sector. You can expect more content, resources, opportunities and more from me in the coming months!
Twitter: @tanishabassan
