Cybersecurity giants ’ drive to boost female tech talent in UK
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WatchGuard Threat Lab report finds endpoint malware volumes decreasing
W a global leader in unified cybersecurity , has announced the findings of its latest Internet Security Report , detailing the top malware trends and network and endpoint security threats analysed by WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers .
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Cybersecurity giants ’ drive to boost female tech talent in UK
Survey reveals that women make up just 19 % of cyber professionals in the UK . Yet , with an estimated 1.8 million cybersecurity job vacancies at the end of 2023 , the industry is also facing a major skills gap .
By partnering with Code First Girls ( CFG ), one of the largest providers of free coding courses for women in the UK , all three companies have sponsored almost 200 women to learn how to code . They are currently looking to recruit female coders across roles such as cyberanalysts and junior software engineers through the CFG degree , a free , 16-week course . ybersecurity giants , BAE Systems , DarkTrace and
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GCHQ , are on a mission to address the industry ’ s gender diversity gap by recruiting more female coders during Cyber Awareness Month .
Despite cybersecurity being one of the fastest-growing industries in tech , analysis of the latest ONS Annual Population
A recent survey by Code First Girls of more than 1,200 women showed an increasing number are exploring pathways into tech – despite 80 % reporting that a career in tech was neither mentioned nor encouraged at school . This includes roles in cybersecurity , with previous applications to GCHQ and BAE Systems ’ opportunities being 300 % and 420 % oversubscribed .
“ To keep the UK safe , it is fundamental that the cybersecurity industry places an emphasis on employing more diverse teams to better address the security threats present today and in the future ,” said Anna Brailsford , CEO of Code First Girls .
WatchGuard Threat Lab report finds endpoint malware volumes decreasing
atchGuard Technologies ,
W a global leader in unified cybersecurity , has announced the findings of its latest Internet Security Report , detailing the top malware trends and network and endpoint security threats analysed by WatchGuard Threat Lab researchers .
Key findings from the research include 95 % of malware now arriving over encrypted connections , a decrease in endpoint malware volumes despite campaigns growing more widespread , ransomware detections on the decline amid a rise in double-extortion attacks , older software vulnerabilities persisting as popular targets for exploit among modern threat actors and more .
“ The data analysed by our Threat Lab for our latest report reinforces how advanced malware attacks fluctuate in occurrence and multifaceted cyberthreats continue to evolve , requiring constant vigilance and a layered security approach to combat them effectively ,” said Corey Nachreiner , Chief Security Officer at WatchGuard . “ Organisations must continually be on alert to monitor these threats and employ a unified security approach , which can be administered effectively by managed service providers , for their best defence .”
Among the most notable findings , the latest Internet Security Report featuring data from Q2 2023 showed :
• 95 % of malware hides behind encryption
• Total endpoint malware volume is down slightly , though widespread malware campaigns increased
• Double-extortion attacks from ransomware groups increased 72 % quarter over quarter , as the Threat Lab noted 13 new extortion groups
• Six new malware variants in the Top 10 endpoint detections
• Threat actors increasingly leverage Windows living off-the-land binaries to deliver malware
• Cybercriminals continue to target older software vulnerabilities
• Compromised domains at WordPress blogs and link-shortening service www . intelligentciso . com
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