CyberStart

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and also beforehand, Baltic countries have been facing a high risk of cyber-attacks and new types of malicious cyber activities, thus increasing the need for cybersecurity specialists. However, in the Central Baltic region, including Finland, Estonia, and Latvia, the cybersecurity sector faces labour shortages, but women remain underrepresented, making up only about 20-25% of the workforce (Woman4Cyber/Finland). The CyberStart project aims to address a significant common territorial challenge: the underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity workforce and their limited access to digital skills and employment opportunities, especially among women who are unemployed or underemployed. By focusing on women and providing them with specialised cybersecurity training, the project aims to overcome these common challenges by increasing the number of skilled female professionals in the cybersecurity field, enhancing their employability.