USTTI partners with GCF to advance women’s leadership in cybersecurity globally - Intelligent CISO

USTTI partners with GCF to advance women’s leadership in cybersecurity globally Bill Tanner | 26 February, 2025 The Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) and the United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) have established a joint program aimed at increasing representation of women in cybersecurity leadership positions globally.   According to GCF’s 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Report, there is a shortage of 2.8 million cybersecurity professionals and women account for only 24% of the workforce. GCF’s research, Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity is a Win-Win, has also found that 22% of female STEM students could be drawn to a career in cybersecurity if provided with sufficient information and training, but a lack of female mentors and sponsors remains a key barrier to entry. The USTTI is a nonprofit, US government-industry joint venture, that provides tuition-free training to the women and men who design, regulate, oversee and secure the communications sector of developing economies. Under the ‘Empowering Women to Leadership in Cyber’ program USTTI, GCF and partners will deliver high-impact in-person global training programs for emerging female leaders in cybersecurity from across the world. The sessions will be held in the US and Saudi Arabia. Jim O’Connor, Chairman and CEO, USTTI, said: “The USTTI is honored to partner with GCF to address this critically important issue. Utilizing our collective expertise, the USTTI-GCF partnership will provide training and mentorship that will empower women to be active leaders in the cybersecurity workforce. In doing so we are confident that we will strengthen cybersecurity globally.” Alaa M. Alfaadhel, Head of Program and Initiatives, GCF, said: “Empowering women’s leadership in cyber is essential to addressing the global cybersecurity workforce shortage – where women remain significantly underrepresented.”