Both in Estonia and around the world, cyber security is facing a growing labour shortage. ‘At the same time, the interest of women in the field has been quite low so far – it is estimated that only 20 per cent of the cybersecurity workforce is female. This is why we decided to focus the camp on girls this time to get them more interested in the field,’ said Lauri Tankler, Head of the R&D Coordination Department of RIA.
The camp was open to 13–16-year-old girls who like to solve exciting puzzles and take on challenges. No previous exposure to cybersecurity issues or programming was necessary. Young people start thinking about their future career choice already in primary school, which makes it the most appropriate age to introduce a new profession.
More than 70 girls attended the camp, many of them from abroad: from Italy, the Czech Republic, and Latvia.
Under the guidance of teachers and instructors of the Kehtna Vocational Education Centre, the participants learned about the field of cyber security and the problems it solves through practical activities and exciting tasks. They also learned how to protect themselves in cyberspace, how to detect security holes and crack passwords, as well as how to think about ethical issues – what is allowed and what is not. The skills acquired were put to the test in a cyber security game (Capture the Flag).
For example, they were taught how to analyse videos, pictures, and audio files to find hidden data, which can be used to map other people’s holiday journeys, among other things. ‘A number of participants also discovered data in their own mobile photos that betray their location. The girls also learned to look for security holes and managed to hack into a blog, for example. Such practical tasks were exciting and stimulating for the young participants,’ said Tiina Pau, Expert-Coordinator at RIA and the main organiser of the camp.
The participants also met women who have become successful in the field of cyber security. Among others, the event was attended by Jaana Metsamaa, Vice-President of Product at cyber start-up Binalyze, Reena Seeba, computer science student and cyber enthusiast, Liina Kamm, Senior Researcher at Cybernetica, one of Estonia’s most influential IT development companies, Sille Arikas and Silvia Väli, information security experts at Clarified Security, and Maarja Punak, who is responsible for social media and web security at the Communication Office of the Estonian Police and Border Guard Board.
In addition to cybersecurity workshops, there were fun activities planned for each day: different team games, folk dances, a photo scavenger hunt, etc.
The camp was free of charge for participants. The event was co-funded by the European Union and the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre.
RIA plans to organise a similar event next year.
