WISP scholars at the OpenSSL Conference

WISP scholars at OpenSSL Conference
Pictured (left to right): Amy Parker, Chief Operations Officer, OpenSSL Foundation; Matt Caswell, President, OpenSSL Foundation; WISP scholars Katty Trevizo, Katrina Khanta, and Andrea Molnár; Tim Hudson, President, OpenSSL Corporation.

It’s estimated that women make up between 20-25% of the cybersecurity workforce globally. While the OpenSSL community welcomes everyone, everywhere, we know that the number of women involved with OpenSSL is quite small. As part of our focus on nurturing a larger and more diverse community, the OpenSSL Foundation and OpenSSL Corporation were pleased to partner with Women in Security and Privacy (WISP) to provide scholarships for three of its members to attend the inaugural OpenSSL Conference in Prague.

WISP is a global membership organization that advances women and underrepresented communities to lead the future of security and privacy. They have over 50,000 members in 16 countries. Events are a core part of WISP’s programming, and working with WISP was a great way to get the word out about the OpenSSL Conference to new audiences.

The three WISP members who received scholarships to attend the OpenSSL Conference were:

Following the conference, Andrea shared that the talks on Post-Quantum Cryptography were a highlight. She wrote, “The development of quantum computing means that all the services we use daily which are responsible for protecting our data (for example, banking), no longer can be effectively guarded by traditional cryptography alone. We are not there yet, but the clock is ticking backwards! Post-Quantum Cryptography has to address this huge challenge affecting every aspect of our lives in the near future. What PQC algorithms have been developed and accepted by respectable international organizations? How can they be implemented and what needs does each solution fit best? What legal and ethical concerns can arise? What can the individual do to protect their data and privacy?

Every time the question of PQC emerged at work, I wished I could have a better understanding of the challenges and solutions available. The OpenSSL Conference allowed me to catch up and expand my understanding in so many ways and contributed to me being more effective at my job.”

Katty shared, “The conference sessions on AI coding, AI law, games and cloud tools caught my attention. This experience has inspired me to learn more about AI automation. The conference was also valuable for the interaction and networking with other attendees.”

Katrina reflected, “This was my first time visiting the Czech Republic. There was something profound about discussing the future of security through quantum cryptography in a city that has been around for more than a millennium. All of the talks I attended were fascinating. It was fun embracing shared curiosities with brilliant minds, and I left the conference more knowledgeable and with new friendships!"

Katrina, Andrea, and Katty all expressed thanks to WISP for scholarships like this one and the opportunities they provide for women to develop their networks and advance professionally in a male-dominated field. We are grateful for this fruitful partnership with WISP and invite all who are interested in OpenSSL to join and engage in our online communities.