Trend Micro has extended its partnership with Girls in Tech in a bid to address the gender gap in the cyber security industry.
According to global non-profit organization Girls in Tech, females made up less than 20% of new hires in the tech industry over the last 20 years.
Trend Micro, which established its own program in 2018 called Close the Gap that provides financial assistance, scholarship opportunities, and fundraisers to help women and other minorities in the tech industry, this week announced an extension of its partnership with the non-profit.
The partnership is intended to create an educated, qualified talent pool of women who are ready to help fix the shortage of cyber security personnel globally.
As a part of this effort, Trend Micro is creating a new Cyber Security Fundamentals course specifically for Girls in Tech. This course will be designed with today’s market needs in mind and will include cyber security essentials and an introduction to malware analysis and network security threats, among other things.
Eva Chen, co-founder and CEO of Trend Micro said: “I’m delighted to be teaming with Girls in Tech to further advance our efforts. Especially in light of recent events, I believe we must celebrate and encourage diversity at every turn today. It’s what makes us human.”
Students can now register for the free Cyber Security Fundamentals course. The virtual training will take four hours per week running from August 31 to September 25.
With tech industries booming in 2020, the fight for more women in tech and cyber security has been a hot topic.
