Empowering Women in Cybersecurity Through eSports: The Wicked6 Initiative
In honor of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, PlayCyber by Katzcy is addressing the ongoing gender gap in the global cybersecurity market by announcing the “Wicked6 Initiative.”
Wicked6 is a 24-hour, virtual global hack and chat event for women that provides a platform for skills development, networking, and empowerment. Wicked6 takes place March 29–30, 2024.
March 8, 2024 - ASHBURN, VA - Designed for individuals of all skill levels, the event grants women access to six (6) cyber game platforms and encourages them to try, as an individual or group, a game for cyber career skills development. The 2024 platforms are Hack The Box, Haiku, InspireTech, MetaCTF, U.S. Cyber Range of Virginia Tech, and the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu.
Event sponsors include Google, Protegrity, SpecterOps, QryptoCyber, and Vector 35.
“Cybersecurity games provide a unique ‘Learn to Play, Play to Learn’ approach by teaching individuals how to play cybersecurity-related games,” explains Jessica Gulick, CEO of Katzcy. “Players take on more complexity as they play. Cyber games offer a lifelong eSport where players can safely keep their cyber offense and defense skills sharp throughout their careers.”
Over a 24-hour period, attendees will listen to and engage with female cybersecurity professionals from around the world including Camille Stewart Gloster, Esq, Deputy National Cyber Director, Technology & Ecosystem Security, The White House, USA; Kana Shinoda, Organizer of CODE BLUE from Japan; Marina Ciavatta, Social Engineer & Cybersecurity Awareness Instructor from Brazil; Confidence Staveley, Cybersecurity Leader & Author from Africa; Simbiat Sadiq, Cybersecurity Consultant at BDO Ireland; and Dr. Shifa Cyclewala, Director at Hacktify Cyber Security in Mumbai, India.
The finale is composed of notable speakers and a LIVE Twitch stream of the Hack The Box Cyber Battle featuring the top 6 global women’s teams and cybersecurity guru John Hammond showcasing live attack and defense fast-paced battles.
A key objective of the National Cyber Workforce and Education Strategy is to enhance international engagements in cyber workforce development. To help with this, Katzcy submitted to the Office of the National Cyber Director’s Stakeholder Commitment a commitment to reach over 10,000 individuals through global games. Wicked6, as a PlayCyber program, is helping lay the foundation for building a more diverse cyber workforce by fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing among cyber professionals worldwide by exchanging best practices with international attendees from 30+ countries. In collaboration with cybersecurity partners, such as Hack The Box, game providers and sponsors, we will reach this goal.
About PlayCyber by Katzcy
PlayCyber®️, powered by Katzcy, delivers epic Cyber Games and eSports for fans, sponsors, and players. We are dedicated to bringing together and inspiring the very best cybersecurity athletes and building a stronger and more diverse community by delivering the world’s most exciting cyber games experiences. For more information on how you can host or support cyber games, please visit playcyber.com.