Its launch follows the European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience that the Commission presented on 1 July 2020.
Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age, Margrethe Vestager, said:
Cybersecurity is everyone’s business. Women bring experience, perspectives and values into the development of digital solutions. It is important to both enrich the discussion and make the cyberspace more secure.
Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas, said:
The cybersecurity field is suffering a massive skills shortage. This talent shortage is exacerbated by the lack of female representation in the field. The updated Skills Agenda adopted by the Commission last week aims to close such gaps. A diverse cybersecurity workforce will certainly contribute to more innovative and robust cybersecurity. The registry launched today will be a useful tool to promote women cybersecurity professionals and create a more diverse and inclusive cybersecurity ecosystem.
Commissioner for the Internal market, Thierry Breton, said:
Over the years we have been promoting various successful initiatives aimed at increasing training in digital skills, notably in the cybersecurity field. Every cyber team needs to combine various skills combining data science, analytics and communication. The registry is a tool aimed at achieving better gender balance in the cybersecurity workforce.
The registry, which outlines diverse profiles and maps various areas of expertise, is accessible to everyone and will be updated regularly. More information on the registry.