Canadian Women in Cybersecurity 2024: Championing Diversity and Innovation
The Canadian Women in Cybersecurity 2024 conference, held at the siberXchange venue, served as a dynamic forum dedicated to celebrating the achievements of women in the industry and championing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) as a critical driver of innovation. Now in its fourth year, the event went beyond standard technical discussions to explore the social fabric that strengthens Canada’s cyber resilience.
Overall Highlights, Themes, and Notable Sessions
The central theme of the 2024 conference was that true diversity—of thought, experience, and background—is the most powerful defense against evolving cyber threats. Key highlights included:
DEI as a Catalyst for Security:
Discussions focused on how integrating diverse perspectives, particularly from women in leadership, propels new innovations and techniques essential to positioning Canada as a global cybersecurity leader.
Career and Leadership Development:
Non-technical sessions and roundtables were prominent, including discussions on navigating career leaves, overcoming stigmas, and nurturing the next generation of women leaders. The Lift as You Climb Mentor Award winner, Sherifat Akinwonmi (TD), was among the recognized leaders celebrated at the Awards Gala.
Technical and Strategic Focus:
Despite the emphasis on DEI, the agenda still featured robust technical content, including deep dives into Securing by Design and interactive workshops on Web App Testing and Lock Picking, alongside strategic sessions on emerging threats and Cyber Threat Intelligence (highlighted by the Emerging Leaders Can Hack finals).
Public Sector Collaboration:
Leaders like Octavia Howell (Equifax Canada), Alpha Chan (Toronto Police Service), and Anshul Srivastava (TTC) ensured robust discussions on securing critical infrastructure and municipal data, reflecting broad public and private sector engagement.
Venue, Speakers, and Sponsors
Venue: The conference was successfully hosted at siberXchange, providing a dedicated, modern space for networking, keynotes, and workshops.
Speakers:
The event showcased an exceptional array of talent, featuring women breaking the glass ceiling across various Canadian organizations. Noteworthy speakers included CISOs and Directors from key institutions like Octavia Howell (VP, CISO at Equifax Canada), Anshul Srivastava (CISO at TTC), and Ali Shahidi (Director at City of Toronto/TCH). The roster also included academics like Dr. Ali Dehghantanha (University of Guelph) and public safety leaders like Terry T (CSIS), ensuring a broad, multidisciplinary view of cybersecurity.
Sponsors:
The event received widespread support, demonstrating strong industry commitment to the mission of promoting women in cybersecurity. Major sponsors included MNP, ARCTIC WOLF, AWS, BELL, and IBM. Strategic support was also provided by key industry partners such as JUNIPER NETWORKS, PROOFPOINT, VEEAM, and SECURITY SCORECARD, alongside crucial regional government support from the Durham REGION, Town of Ajax, and City of Oshawa, highlighting the national significance of the conference.
The video Canadian Women In Cybersecurity | Welcome and Opening provides the welcome and opening remarks for the Canadian Women in Cybersecurity 2024 event.
https://www.youtube.com/@siberxorg/playlists.
