Cyber Conference Inspires the Next Generation of Female Talent

Six S3 girls from Castlemilk High School took part in the See It Be It: Women and Girls in Cyber Conference at RBS Gogarburn in November 2025, gaining direct insight into Scotland’s cyber security sector and the women shaping its future. Their participation demonstrates how meaningful employer engagement can strengthen Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) outcomes, raise aspirations, and challenge gender imbalance in the cyber security sector. 

Overview
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The conference, delivered by the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, brought together more than 200 pupils, teachers, and cyber professionals for a full day of panels, workshops, and hands‑on challenges. The six S3 girls attended with the school’s DYW co‑ordinator and Computing Science teacher, building on their earlier involvement in a cyber event that inspired them to launch a girls‑only coding club. 

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With female representation in Computing Science at the school still low, the event offered a vital opportunity for pupils to hear directly from women working in cyber security, understand their career journeys, and see the breadth of roles available across the sector. 

Objectives

- Inspire girls to explore cyber security and technology careers through exposure to female role models 
- Raise awareness of the range of roles and pathways available in cyber security 
- Strengthen the girls‑only coding club by connecting members with peers and industry professionals 
- Promote female representation in tech by empowering pupils to see themselves in the workforce 

Employer and Partner Support

The conference was supported by a wide range of industry partners, including: 
- Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland 
- Accenture 
- Fortinet 
- Scottish and Southern Energy 
- National Cyber Security Centre 
- Cisco 
- Bridewell 
- IBM 
- BT 

Their involvement ensured pupils had access to authentic industry insight, real role models, and practical learning experiences. 

Activities and Learning 

The programme combined inspiring panel discussions with immersive, interactive workshops. 

- Female‑led panel sessions explored career pathways, challenges, and the importance of diversity in cyber security. Speakers shared personal stories that helped pupils understand how different routes—apprenticeships, university, and industry transitions—can lead to success. 
- Cyber‑attack tabletop exercise introduced pupils to incident response, decision‑making under pressure, and the importance of communication. 
- Cyber‑themed escape room challenged teams to solve puzzles, decode clues, and apply logical thinking. 
- Cyber monopoly challenge gave pupils a large‑scale, gamified introduction to risk, strategy, and the business side of cyber security. 

These activities strengthened problem‑solving, teamwork, and critical‑thinking skills while showing pupils how cyber security connects to real‑world challenges. 

Results and Outcomes 

The conference had a clear and positive impact on the pupils’ confidence, aspirations, and understanding of the cyber sector. 

- Pupils reported feeling inspired by the women they met, reinforcing their belief that they can succeed in tech. 
- Hands‑on workshops helped develop transferable skills such as teamwork, communication, and analytical thinking. 
- Pupils left with a stronger understanding of cyber security roles, pathways, and the skills needed to enter the industry. 
- The event helped demystify cyber security, making it feel more accessible and less intimidating. 
 
Testimonials ​

Pupils 
“The event was useful – women highlighting a need for more women in tech has inspired me. My favourite activity of the day was the escape room challenge, as I enjoy puzzles and problem solving.” 
 EB, 14, Castlemilk High School 
“I enjoyed the event – it highlighted women power, and that women can do well in tech too. I enjoyed the monopoly activity the most – as it had fun problems to solve, and you got to learn about different companies.” 
 AM, 14, Castlemilk High School 
Pupils also shared that the best part of the conference was realising “the fact that women can do the same job that men do, and maybe even better”, which helped make “cyber less scary.” 
Partners 
“See It Be It is about representation and opportunity. When girls can see women thriving in cyber security, they can believe it’s a path for them too.  It was great to see and hear the enthusiasm about cyber from the school girls. We need to give more girls this chance, loosen some of the red tape around giving young people opportunities, and start building interest in cyber careers at grass roots! I am delighted with the response to our call from the industry to support See It Be It, and we are looking forward to seeing increased diversity in cyber security in Scotland as a result of the Conference. See It Be It isn’t one hit and done. Multiple agencies, bodies and organisations need to come together to improve pathways and diversity in the cyber sector. The Conference is one way to highlight the brilliant work of fellow female security professionals, but it’s up to all of us to keep pushing opportunities and ways for the next generation to be a part of keeping Scotland safe.” 
 Jude McCorry, CEO, Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland 
 
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