This week, as we approach International Women’s Day on March 8th, we are celebrating the work of women across the globe who are building cyber resilience globally.
Cyber4Dev is proud to showcase the work of our expert, Liina Areng. Liina takes a leading role in the project as an expert adviser and has been pivotal in its success to date, working across Africa, Caribbean and Asia. Here, we talk to Liina about her important work…
Can you give us an insight into your role with Cyber4Dev and some of the work that you’re involved with at the moment?
I lead the work for one Cyber4Dev implementing partner – Estonia. I work at the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA), which includes the functions of a national cybersecurity centre as well as responsibilities for a wide range of technical tasks supporting the operation and development of Estonian digital society. I contribute to the management of the Cyber4Dev project in both strategic and operational aspects. My main task is to coordinate Estonian contribution to the project and support the trainings with my own knowhow and experiences. I also support the project’s strategic planning to guide our decisions and actions. Forever fascinated about the development of secure digital societies across the world, and inspired by many enthusiastic and innovative thought leaders, that include many women, I am dedicated to support countries in transition to utilise Cyber4Dev to the fullest to enhance cyber resilience for the benefit of our common digital future.
The key element in ‘cyber’ is not a computer but human…
What I enjoy the most working for the Cyber4Dev is to see devoted attendees at our trainings who are eager to learn, question and challenge. I believe that we do not only share European collective knowledge through our project but also learn a lot ourselves. Our project’s target countries that are undergoing rapid digital transformation are leapfrogging in many respects, using innovative digital platforms, experimenting in fintech and mobile technology, utilising off-grid renewable energy solutions and creating a level playing field for home-grown SMEs. Cyber4Dev aims to raise awareness in these societies and most importantly among the decision-makers that eagerly want to reap the benefits of a ‘digital revolution’ about the need to invest in the security of the digital solutions to withstand and recover from potential cyber attacks or technical failures.
‘Cyber’ can mean so many things, what you to think are the key elements of cyber?
The key element in ‘cyber’ is not a computer but human. The developer on the one hand and the end-user on the other. Responsibility to build secure systems on the outset and raising awareness of the standard computer user about the risks of reckless behaviour in cyberspace. Security awareness training is the key to enhance not only organisational but national level cyber resilience.
How has Cyber changed over the years?
The attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, more strategic and geopolitical in nature. Over the last few years we have seen attacks against critical infrastructure, institutions and democratic process. As a recent phenomenon, we also see public attribution of state-sponsored cyber attacks by governments and private industry, which is also helping to increase societal and political awareness of cyber risks. On the other hand, as affordable digital devices are becoming pervasive and easily accessible, it is also making cyber attacks increasingly cheaper, faster and easier method to cause harm to states and societies.
As a young student, what really sparked your interest in Cyber?
When I was a student, cyber was not an issue. It was the time when first mobile phones started to appear in Estonia… My first encounter with cyber happened in 2007, while working at the Ministry of Defence and having been posted to the Estonian Delegation to NATO, when Estonia fell victim of large-scale cyber attacks. This is when cyber as a term started to boom in Estonia and elsewhere, eventually creating a lot of hype, fear and misunderstanding about cyber.
bring some powerful young female cyber practitioners to schools to lecture and inspire…
Can you tell us about the path that you took to work in Cyber?
I have been a self-learner, like many people in cyber at the time. Learning by doing and learning from smart people around me. Cyber security has emerged as a separate field of study in the universities only over the past decade or so.
As of 2019, it is estimated that women make up 24% of the global cyber security community, how can Cyber attract more female students, to encourage more young women to make this career choice?
Girls as well as boys are heavily influenced by images and role models projected to them through media, movies, music etc. As the prevailing image of a male computer geek becomes abandoned (and we do not see that many such stereotypical geeks actually working in the industry), bring some powerful young female cyber practitioners to schools to lecture and inspire, organise special girls-only computer camps and after-school activities, integrate IT with arts, music and other such disciplines that girls are more attracted to, we can slowly but gradually change male domination in this field!
What attributes are required to work in Cyber?
It is wrong to believe that people working in IT or cyber need no skills to communicate with humans. Cyber is not a solo sport but essentially entails team work, communication, international projects, working with people from many different cultures, backgrounds and ages
If you come sum up your career in Cyber today, what three words would you use?
Inspiration, change, energy
