A Spotlight on Bay Path’s Women in Cybersecurity Chapter

October is Cybersecurity Month. Besides our own Cybersecurity Summit, you may
have noticed numerous events on all things cyber in the region. But did you know
we have our own Women in Cybersecurity (WiCyS) chapter at Bay Path?

It was founded by Dr. Robin Saunders, director of graduate programs in
Communications and Information Management, and TAWC student Danielle
Thibodeau ’20, G’23, a recent graduate from the MS in Cybersecurity program.

Women in Cybersecurity ( WiCyS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the
support, advancement and recognition of women in the cybersecurity field. It was
founded in 2012 by Dr. Ambareen Siraj and Dr. Lori A. Clarke, with a mission to
provide opportunities, resources and leadership for women seeking careers in this
ever-growing industry.

A growing community comprised of over 6,000 members (95% of whom are
women) in 69 countries, over 110 student chapters and 31 professional affiliates,
WiCyS is at the center of numerous opportunities for women to thrive and succeed,
including their Annual Conference for 1,650 attendees.

Our Bay Path chapter has approximately 12-15 students and is growing. One
unique aspect of our chapter is the partnership with Norwich University.
As an adjunct at Norwich University, Dr. Saunders saw an opportunity for the Bay
Path chapter to partner with Norwich and New England College to increase
engagement and share information and strategies.  Yearly, there are three joint
meetings among the three schools.

In March of 2023, Dr. Saunders attended and was a presenter (presentation title:
Cybersecurity in the Metaverse) & Mentor at the Annual WiCyS Conference.  She
led the combined team of four Bay Path students, five Norwich students, and 3
NEC students at the conference.

For anyone entering the cybersecurity field experiential opportunities and
networking are key. This chapter provides both.

As Dr. Saunders states: “In a male-dominated industry like cybersecurity,
organizations like WiCyS are crucial in promoting diversity and creating equal
opportunities for all genders. ‘Security needs diversity. Diversity needs security’.”
Carpe Diem!