We came, we conquered, we showed we #conDifferently

SquadCon 2023 was a great success. Our Inaugural conference had 306 attendees and volunteers and over 30 diverse speakers. Keynoted by the incomparable Camille Stewart Gloster, Jen Easterly and Marcus J Carey, SquadCon 2023 was a 3 day conference full of amazing moments, cutting edge talks, and amazing people. Check out the recaps on our YouTube page: Here

ThriveDX Partners with BlackGirlsHack to Launch BlackGirlsHack Scholars Program

NEWS PROVIDED BY

ThriveDX 

25 Jul, 2023, 09:00 ET

•  Cyber Training and Awareness Company Joins Forces with Virginia-Based Non-Profit to Increase Access to Cybersecurity Training to Help Individuals Enter Workforce

MIAMI, July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- ThriveDX, the global leader in cybersecurity skills training, is excited to announce the launch of The ThriveDX BlackGirlsHack Scholars Program, which will provide 25 learners from BlackGirlsHack with full tuition and fees for the ThriveDX Cybersecurity Professional Program. This Scholars Program will enable a cohort of 25 individuals, who are associated with BlackGirlsHack, to receive support and benefits needed to successfully complete the program and secure new employment in the growing field of cybersecurity.

ThriveDX partners with academic institutions, enterprises, and government branches globally to offer advanced cybersecurity training and security awareness training programs. ThriveDX is on a mission to train the next-generation cybersecurity workforce and close the cybersecurity skills gap by providing under-represented and under-resourced communities with access to relevant training to enter the digital skills industry.

BlackGirlsHack (BGH Foundation) is a 501(c)(3) organization created to help increase diversity in cybersecurity by helping to bridge the gap between what is taught in educational institutions and what is necessary for careers in cybersecurity. The mission of BlackGirlsHack Foundation is to increase representation and empower Black girls and women in the field of information security and cyber security through skills training, mentoring, resume review, and access to low-cost resources in an inclusive environment.

Together, ThriveDX and BlackGirlsHack will carve new pathways into the cybersecurity and technology field for individuals who historically have limited opportunities and access. Throughout the program, learners will have ThriveDX Career Coaching support in collaboration with OneTen to help place all program graduates in cyber roles, and once finished with the course, learners will receive a certificate of completion from ThriveDX.

"Equity in access to cyber training is something we work towards on a daily basis, and I couldn't be more excited about our latest partnership that will help us get one step closer to that," stated Desiree Young, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships & Strategic Innovation, ThriveDX. "Collaboration is key to reaching our common goal of providing under-resourced communities with routes to lucrative cyber careers, so we can't wait to see how this program will change the lives of the members of BlackGirlsHack."

"Inclusivity in the cyber workforce is needed in the industry for a more innovative, creative and holistic cybersecurity ecosystem in order to help reduce biases and identify blind spots that exist in the threat landscape. A diverse workforce also ensures that a range of skill sets and backgrounds are represented, resulting in more effective problem-solving and innovative solutions," said Dan Vigdor, Founder, Co-CEO and Executive Chairman of ThriveDX. "We are proud to do our part in achieving this by forming strategic partnerships, like this one with BlackGirlsHack, to create access to our Cybersecurity Professional Program that will ultimately help these individuals enter the evolving cyber workforce."

"We're excited to partner with ThriveDX to help train the next generation of ethical hackers. What the ThriveDX BlackGirlsHack partnership does is provide a structured framework for traditional students and students without 2 and 4 year degrees to be able to transition into the field of cyber. The best part, in my opinion, is that after the learners have completed the training they will have the opportunity for job placement in cyber roles through the partnership with OneTen. We're excited to continue our role as an international nonprofit providing cybersecurity training for cybersecurity's underrepresented communities," said Tennisha Martin, Executive Director, BlackGirlsHack.

Program enrollment began in early July and the cohort began on July 24. For more information on ThriveDX's partnership with BlackGirlsHack, visit https://thrivedx.com/resources/lp/black-girls-hack-scholars-program.

About ThriveDX
ThriveDX is the global leader in cybersecurity education, and an expert in providing cybersecurity training to upskill and reskill lifelong learners. Our teams are made up of military trained cyber experts, industry veterans and seasoned educators united to close the worldwide skills and talent gap in cybersecurity. Operating in two divisions – education and enterprise – ThriveDX's award-winning solutions exist to bridge the skills gap and impact the talent shortage in the cybersecurity and overall tech industry. The Education sector partners with academic institutions, enterprises, and government branches globally to offer advanced, professional development programs in cybersecurity and digital technology. The Enterprise branch (formulated by companies formerly known as Cybint Solutions, Kontra Application Security, Lucy Security, ThriveDX Labs, and HackerU Pro), is a suite of products and services that cater to non-technical employees, developers, IT professionals and anyone in between. For more information, visit https://thrivedx.com/

About BlackGirlsHack
BlackGirlsHack Foundation (BGH Foundation 85-3683902) is an international cybersecurity training nonprofit set up to increase representation within the field of cybersecurity. The mission of BlackGirlsHack Foundation is to increase representation and empower Black girls and women in the field of information security and cyber security through skills training, mentoring, resume review, and access to low-cost resources in an inclusive environment.The vision of The BGH Foundation is to promote a diverse and inclusive cyber industry where Black women are represented in all levels of cybersecurity, including technical, leadership, and executive roles.

Media contact
Kerry-Ann Hylton
press@thrivedx.com

SOURCE ThriveDX

Girls Hack Village presents SquadCon is a three-day conference that seeks to bring gender diverse perspectives of the contributions, experiences, and issues facing the industry's other. Hackers that are new or from underrepresented communities may not often feel comfortable in existing conferences. SquadCon is a forum for conversations about topics that impact girls, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals, including mental health and all the factors that shape the experiences of marginalized groups in the industry. SquadCon is a cybersecurity conference that will include talks, labs, workshops, discussions, CTFs and panels to move towards our mission of improving diversity in ethical hacking.

SquadCon is an independent conference event in Las Vegas during Hacker Summer Camp scheduled for August 10-12th. It is run by the makers of Girls Hack Village and exists to help foster diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity.

August 10th, 2023

9am Registration

10am-5pm Conference Day 1

August 11th, 2023

9am Registration

9:30am-5pm Conference Day 2

August 12th, 2023

9am-5pm Conference Day 3

8pm-2am Superheroes vs Villains Party

General Admission Ticket ($150) includes:

Access to full day events and networking

Access to sponsors

Access to Party

VIP Admission Ticket ($200) includes:

Access to full day events and networking

Access to sponsors

Access to Party

Custom Badge

Free Shuttle or Lyft from Strip To/From the Industrial Event Space (Once each day)

VIP+ Admission Ticket ($250) includes:

Access to full day events and networking

Access to sponsors

Access to Party

Custom Badge

Box Lunch all three days

Free Shuttle or Lyft from Strip To/From The Industrial Event Space (Once each day)

Virtual Only Ticket (Free) includes:

Access to live streamed talks

Virtual+ Ticket ($70) includes:

Access to live streamed talks

Custom Badge (Shipped to U.S. addresses)

Purchase Tickets Here

It is with great disappointment that we must inform you that while we will be at DEF CON this year, it will not be as an official DEF CON Village. We were recently notified leadership collectively decided to not accept our village application for inclusion at DEF CON 31. While we are saddened by this outcome, we understand that they have determined we no longer meet the criteria for village participation.

As a girls' organization dedicated to promoting cybersecurity education and awareness, we remain steadfast in our belief that diversity is critical to creating a safe and secure cyber world. While some would relegate us to an affinity group, Girls Hack, and as 25% of the cyber industry, we have equal rights for space, opportunity, and representation at cybersecurity conferences. Shirley Chisholm once said if they don’t give you a seat at the table bring a folding chair.

Our organization will continue to strive towards this goal, and we are proud to announce that the Girl Hack Village mission will live on in a standalone event.

We understand that hosting such events requires resources, and we are committed to fundraising and garnering support from our community and donors to ensure that women will continue to have a seat at the table even if we have to create our own. We believe that our dedication to cybersecurity education and awareness is worthy of support, and we will continue to seek out opportunities to advance this cause.

If you agree and would like to see our mission continue, we are currently accepting donations. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. https://www.paypal.com/donate?campaign_id=ENDQNWPGWAT5Y

A special thank you to those that supported every talk, workshop and event we hosted last year. We’ll see you soon.

Today, we are thrilled to announce that BlackGirlsHack has partnered with Google to help make the cybersecurity workforce more diverse and to train the next generation of ethical hackers!

As a leading technology company, Google understands cybersecurity’s importance, its role in protecting individuals, businesses, and communities from online threats, and diversity’s role in supporting that goal. That’s why they have chosen to sponsor our organization, which is dedicated to addressing diversity in cybersecurity and helping more underrepresented communities upskill and reskill to careers in cybersecurity.

With Google’s support, we will be able to expand our reach and impact, providing even more people with the tools and knowledge they need to obtain careers in cybersecurity. We will also be able to invest in new initiatives that will help to make the career training for career changers and new entrants into the industry.

We believe that through this partnership with Google, we can make a real difference in diversity statistics in cybersecurity and we are honored to have the support of such a respected and innovative company.

As part of the sponsorship, Google will provide BlackGirlsHack with resources such as funding, expertise and access to their tools and technology. This will help us to enhance our current programs and develop new initiatives, with the goal of educating underserved populations in upskilling and reskilling in cybersecurity careers.

We look forward to working with Google and are grateful for their commitment to our organization. Together, we can help to create a more diverse and inclusive workforce.

About BlackGirlsHack:

BlackGirlsHack was created to share knowledge and resources to help black girls and women breakthrough barriers to careers in information security and cyber security. The vision for Black Girls Hack (BGH) is to provide resources, training, mentoring, and access to black girls and women and increase representation and diversity in the cyber security field and in the executive suites.

About Google:

Google is a multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products such as search engines, online advertising technologies, cloud computing, software, and hardware. The company was founded in 1998 and has since grown to become one of the world’s most valuable and recognizable brands. Google is well known for its commitment to making the internet a safer and more secure place for everyone, and is continually investing in new technologies and initiatives to achieve this goal.

With the Sponsorship, we look forward to working closely with Google to create a more secure digital world. We encourage you to stay connected with us to be informed about the new initiatives and programs that will be launched.

BlackGirlsHack (BGH) Foundation is excited to announce our partnership with The Diana Initiative (TDI) a diversity-driven conference committed to helping all underrepresented people in Information Security. The Diana Initiative is a conference that features multiple speaker tracks, villages with hands-on workshops, and a capture the flag event. BlackGirlsHack Foundation will be partnering with the Diana Initiative to provide scholarships to Def Con and the Diana Initiative conference in Las Vegas in August 2023. These scholarships will provide underrepresented people in information security with travel, hotel accommodations, and tickets to TDI and Def Con.

Last year, BGH provided 23 scholarships to help bring recipients to Las Vegas for hacker summer camp, a collection of cybersecurity conferences which include BlackHat USA, The Diana Initiative, BSides LV, and Def Con. Recipients were able to network, expand their knowledge, learn, and see cutting edge research, advances in technology and learn about the cybersecurity field.

This year, through its partnership with TDI, BGH hopes to bring another 20 people to Las Vegas to help increase diversity in cybersecurity and help them to see themselves in the industry. Donations for Hacker Summer Camp can be made by donating at dianainitiative.org/donate (Leave a comment that the donation is for Hacker Summer Camp) or at blackgirlshack.org/donate and select Def Con Travel Expense Donation.

BlackGirlsHack (BGH) Foundation is excited to announce our partnership with Masterfully, a cybersecurity onboarding and training firm offering the Advisor Plus platform. BlackGirlsHack is continuing to build strategic partnerships with leading edge training companies to build out its training program to provide upskilling and reskilling to diverse groups trying to transition or pivot into Cybersecurity.

With this partnership, Masterfully will provide BGH with free access to their OWASP Web Security Testing Guide training which is a self-paced curriculum aimed at training users with basic computer science knowledge in the areas of web application penetration testing and web security testing. This partnership is especially exciting because BlackGirlsHack founder Tennisha Martin through her BGH Security Corporation and BlackGirlsHack experts worked closely with the test management team at Masterfully to develop the curriculum.

The training will be available to all BGH members by January 2023 (if not sooner).

BlackGirlsHack (BGH Foundation) is excited to announce our partnership with CyberVista, a N2K Networks brand and cybersecurity training and workforce development company. BlackGirlsHack is continuing to build strategic partnerships to build out its training program and provide upskilling and reskilling to diverse groups trying to transition or pivot into Cybersecurity. With this partnership, CyberVista will provide BGH with free access to foundational cybersecurity training that can be used to supplement training initiatives with their current members.

BGH provides training and resources to encourage black girls and women to be engaged in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, which have historically had a poor representation of women and minorities. BGH’s focus is to improve access and representation of black girls and women in the cybersecurity industry and executive suites.

CyberVista aims to create a cyber-ready workforce through personalized training programs that provide organizations with the people, knowledge and skills required to defend their most critical assets. Areas of training include computers and networking, inventory management, secure deployment and configuration management, protect and defend, and investigate and analysis―from foundational to expert level.

CyberVista’s free courses that will be made available to BGH include:

• Cybersecurity Matters: This material is designed to complement basic security awareness training and provide a deeper layer of understanding of fundamental cybersecurity lexicon. Designed for a non-technical audience, Cybersecurity Matters provides informative and relevant content in an engaging online environment. Learners will walk away with a foundation of cybersecurity knowledge on common cyber attacks and defensive techniques. Beyond basic awareness training and phishing simulations, this content helps learners understand the “hows” and “whys” of cybersecurity, and their role in keeping the organization secure.
  
  
• Security Essentials for IT:  An online program designed to teach IT professionals the key foundational concepts of cybersecurity, the course includes video lessons, case studies, lab exercises, and interviews with an industry expert in IT security. Security Essentials for IT goes beyond general awareness training programs. The course addresses cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities related to protecting business data and maintaining enterprise systems while incorporating real-world examples and hands-on exercises to put theory into practice. As a result, the practitioner will be more knowledgeable on cybersecurity lexicon, common threats and attacks, and proper mitigation strategies.

BlackGirlsHack Foundation (BGH Foundation) is excited to announce its partnership with the National Cyber League and it’s parent company Cyber Skyline.

The NCL is a defensive and offensive puzzle-based, capture-the-flag style cybersecurity competition. Its virtual training ground helps high school and college students prepare and test themselves against cybersecurity challenges that they will likely face in the workforce. In the NCL Games, students work to solve challenges such as identifying hackers from forensic data, pentesting and auditing vulnerable websites, recovering from ransomware attacks, and more. BGH Foundation will be incorporating the National Cyber League in their Intro to CTF training included in their BlackKidHack/ We Got Next Cyber K-12 program to help prepare the next generation of cyber professionals. The National Cyber League Fall Season is in progress and is open to high school-graduate school students.

Through the partnership, 100 members from Black Girls Hack will receive 6 months of free access to our complete platform and Discord community access. They will have access to over 1k different education content and labs, including career paths, to help them upskill or change careers in infosec. Additionally, they will have free assistance from our mentors to help them on their journey.