Luxembourg’s vulnerability to cyberattack was laid bare on 27 February when around 100 government-run websites suffered a DDoS attack Pexels

Luxembourg’s vulnerability to cyberattack was laid bare on 27 February when around 100 government-run websites suffered a DDoS attack Pexels

That was the question left hanging by cybersecurity experts after a conference and panel held on 8 March to celebrate international women’s day.

A recent study found that one million cyber security specialists were missing today in the market worldwide. By 2019 the figure is expected to reach six million.

Meanwhile, it is common knowledge that women are massively under-represented in this sector and ICT in general. Yet the jobs are out there if men and women are ready to skill up.

“In Luxembourg there are 100 job openings [in cybersecurity] today but more coming in future,” said Pascal Steichen, CEO of Securitymadein.lu, adding “women we need you.”

The conference, which was hosted at the "Maison de l'Europe" and organised with Women in Digital Empowerment and Securitymadein.lu was a chance to give a platform to women already working in cybersecurity.

Internationally recognised malware specialist Marion Marshalek, who was listed as one of Forbes’ “30 under 30” in the technology Europe division 2016, gave an inspiring keynote speech about her journey to becoming an independent security researcher.

The panel included data protection expert for MGSI Violaine Langlet and head of cyber defence for the army’s ICT Sheila Becker, who shared insights on making it in a male-dominated arena.  

But on the subject of why women are so crucial in this domain, it was the only male panelist who summed it up best.

“I think with complex problems in cybersecurity you have to have different views, different inputs, and ways of thinking,” said government CIO Gilles Feither, adding: “This is where gender is important in these discussions. Because you have to approach the problem from different sides.”

Luxembourg’s vulnerability to cyberattack was laid bare on 27 February when around 100 government-run websites suffered a DDoS attack, a kind of strike in which multiple servers flood the bandwidth or resources the system of their victim.

The attack was brought under control within 24 hours by government IT centre CTIE. But it is not only government servers which suffer.

In 2016 ransomware was the main cyber threat around the world, with hackers taking computers hostage until their owners paid them. According to Steichen, globally a computer was taken ransom every ten seconds in 2016.

Securitymadein.lu is the one-stop shop in Luxembourg for all things related to cybersecurity. Later this year it will open a cybersecurity competence centre to help train companies in how to respond to cyberattacks through simulations.