Women in CyberSecurity
Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) is a global nonprofit membership organization focused on the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in the cybersecurity workforce across academia, industry, and government.
- Annual technical and career conference program for cybersecurity professionals, students, and employers
- Professional development, mentoring, and leadership programs for women in cybersecurity roles
- Academic and student engagement through chapters, scholarships, and career pathways into cybersecurity
- Employer partnerships and sponsorship programs to support diverse cybersecurity hiring and retention
- Community-building platforms, events, and resources for networking and knowledge sharing in cybersecurity
More About Women in CyberSecurity
Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS) operates as a nonprofit membership and community organization that connects women across the cybersecurity ecosystem, including enterprises, public agencies, higher-education institutions, and solution providers. Its offerings are used by security leaders, hiring managers, and academic program directors to build talent pipelines, provide training and mentoring, and create structured pathways into technical cybersecurity roles.
In enterprise and institutional environments, WiCyS programs commonly intersect with Security Operations (SecOps), Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), and identity and access management (IAM) teams that seek to expand their pool of qualified practitioners. The organization provides a framework of conferences, workshops, mentoring cohorts, and chapter activities that security organizations can align with their workforce development programs. These activities often map to common cybersecurity domains such as network security, application security, cloud security, incident response, digital forensics, and secure software development.
WiCyS does not function as a technology vendor; instead, it operates in the category of cybersecurity workforce development, professional community, and talent-enablement services. Its programs complement technical certification tracks, academic curricula, and vendor-specific training by offering community-based learning, exposure to industry practices, and structured career support. Enterprises use WiCyS partnerships to connect with early-career and mid-career professionals for internships, apprenticeships, and full-time roles across security architecture, engineering, and operations.
The organization maintains a network of professional and student chapters, which serve as local hubs for training sessions, employer engagement, and peer-to-peer collaboration. These chapters often host talks and workshops that reference widely used cybersecurity frameworks and concepts, such as NIST Cybersecurity Framework (security governance), Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) categories (application security), and secure coding and defensive operations practices. By convening practitioners, educators, and employers, WiCyS provides a structured environment where enterprise security teams can present use cases, tools, and architectures to prospective and current professionals.
From a directory and marketplace perspective, Women in CyberSecurity is best categorized under cybersecurity workforce development, diversity and inclusion in security, professional association, and career and training support. It is relevant to organizations building security capability across cloud, on-premises (on-prem), and hybrid environments, since its focus is on people and skills rather than on specific platforms or products. WiCyS serves as a connector between enterprises seeking cybersecurity talent and individuals seeking career entry, progression, and community within the security field.