Prime Highlights
- The See It Be It 2026 conference will take place in Edinburgh on October 2, aiming to draw young women into cyber security careers.
- Women currently hold just 17.5% of cyber security roles nationwide, despite a 20% rise in UK cyber security firms over the past year.
Key Facts
- The Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland organizes the conference as part of its wider See It Be It programme.
- The programme has already reached more than 200 schoolgirls across over 20 schools in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.
Background
A major conference aimed at drawing more young women into cyber security careers will take place in Edinburgh later this year. The Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland will host the See It Be It 2026 conference on October 2 at the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Edinburgh offices.
The event is open to female students from secondary school through university, with the goal of getting them to consider careers in cyber security and technology.
It forms part of the broader See It Be It programme, which works to close the gender gap in the cyber sector by improving visibility, access and support for women entering the field.
The UK has seen a 20% rise in cyber security firms over the past year, yet women still hold just 17.5% of cyber security roles nationwide. Organizers hope events like this can help shift that balance.
The conference will include panel discussions with industry leaders, interactive activities, mentoring sessions and networking opportunities, giving attendees a look at the range of careers available within cyber security.
So far, the See It Be It programme has reached more than 200 schoolgirls across over 20 schools, with events already held in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.
The Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland plans to grow the programme further over the coming year, adding school visits, industry open days and pathways into internships and entry-level roles.
The organization is also running a competition for Scottish secondary schools, with winning schools able to bring up to ten female pupils to the October conference.
