Make Way for Women in Cybersecurity
With strong connections to companies like NuHarbor Security and our very own experiential learning hub at the Leahy Center for Digital Forensics & Cybersecurity, students at Champlain are uniquely positioned for hands-on opportunities that build both their practical skills in cybersecurity and their resumes.
And while cybersecurity and digital forensics are both male-dominated fields, Champlain aspires to be the best place in the world for women to study cybersecurity. In recent years, the College has partnered with Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS)—the premier organization for female-identifying cybersecurity professionals—on events and conferences, has established a WiCyS chapter at Champlain College, and launched an annual summit to bring students and professionals together for a day of empowerment and networking.
While there’s work to be done along the road ahead, we celebrate our current students who are helping pave the way for others to follow. Meet a few of those students who are helping Champlain become the best place in the world for women to study cybersecurity: Molly Shapiro, Fatima Omerovic, and Laila Martinez.
What drew you to your field? How did you first get into cyber?
Laila Martinez: I’ve always been interested in figuring out puzzles and piecing together a story. Within digital forensics, I’ve had to learn how to analyze evidence to build a story of a security incident and explain my findings that non-technical people may not understand. The ability to continuously build my skill set and learn from amazing people is what drew me to the field.
Molly Shapiro: I’ve always been a fan of unorthodox puzzles, and cybersecurity is a field full of puzzles. Conducting a penetration test, investigating suspicious activity, putting together scripts for enhanced cybersecurity—these are all puzzles to be solved, in my mind. I went to an all-girls high school that had a small but strong cybersecurity program. We competed in several cybersecurity competitions every year, and I was curious about what these competitions looked like. The first one I tried was Girls Go CyberStart (now CyberStart America), and I fell in love with the challenges. I then competed in CyberPatriot and began taking cybersecurity classes, and by the time I started applying for college, I was totally in love with cybersecurity.
Fatima Omerovic: [I was drawn to this field after] getting DDoS’d multiple times as a kid trying to play Counter-Strike: Global Offensive. The first year of the spring semester, I changed my major on a whim.
How are you involved with Champlain’s WiCyS?
Laila Martinez: I am currently involved as a member of WiCyS because I value and stand by their mission of a more inclusive cyber industry. They foster a community that provides resources and opportunities for members that will help further their careers. Additionally, the Champlain chapter here is a great way to learn something new and interact with the student body. I’ve been a part of WiCyS since my sophomore year and I attended the 2023 conference in Colorado.
Molly Shapiro: I was the founder of our WiCyS chapter and the president of the chapter for three years. I’m now the secretary of the chapter. Our WiCyS chapter has been one of the most important parts of my college experience—it’s given me the chance to meet so many wonderful folks (students, faculty, and industry professionals alike), travel to hear from some of the most prolific women in the industry, and both educate and learn from my fantastic chapter members.
Fatima Omerovic: Being involved in Champlain’s WiCyS means fostering a safe space for women in cybersecurity and a fun environment for learning and networking.
Why do you think there are fewer women in this industry?
Laila Martinez: Coming into the industry during high school, there was a stark difference between the amount of men and women within the classes, and it was hard for me to reach out and ask for help when I needed it. Even though the amount of women in the workforce has increased over the years, there’s still a gap for strong leaders.
Molly Shapiro: I think there’s such a huge stigma around not being highly technical when getting into cybersecurity. I wasn’t a programmer or a computer expert when I started learning, and I think there are a lot of men who have that prior experience because it’s encouraged for them. Not having that experience makes you feel behind before you even start, and that’s a really tough feeling to grapple with.
Fatima Omerovic: This is such an intimidating field to get into and not only that it is heavily male-dominated.
When you think about the next 5-10 years in your field, what security issues or threats are you most concerned about?
Laila Martinez: Artificial intelligence is a security concern I believe will become more prevalent in the next 5-10 years. AI is very powerful and the full extent of how it can be used, either legitimately or maliciously, is still not yet known. In developing undetectable malware or pulling unprotected data from the internet, it can be used to potentially cause harmful damage to organizations that are unprepared.
Molly Shapiro: The biggest threat to cybersecurity in the next 5-10 years is AI. It’s a total black box when it comes to data processing, which leaves so many questions regarding how the AI models are being trained and what is happening to the data that people are inputting. It also can lead to major misinformation, which is an overall concern.
Fatima Omerovic: The rise in cyber attacks, specifically in the video game/streaming platform areas. I fear that this will see a big boom and lots of money or lives could be lost.
Interested in learning more about women in cyber, or cyber-related topics? Check out the majors in our Division of Information Technology & Sciences and other opportunities for students at the Leahy Center.
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