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Location:Royal Bank of Scotland Edinburgh offices
Start date:02/10/2026
End date:02/10/2026
Event Organiser:Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland
More information
Email:enquiries@cyberfraudcentre.com
Web:https://cyberfraudcentre.com/events/see-it-be-it-oct-2026-registration
Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, alongside its strategic partners Royal Bank of Scotland and Fortinet, has announced the return of its See It Be It conference, on Friday, October 2, 2026 in Edinburgh.
The free event will bring together female high school pupils, university and college students, educators, cyber and tech industry people for talks with diverse role models from across the sector, hands-on activities that show the reality of cyber roles and small-group mentoring sessions.ย Pictured are Alice Lake from Accenture, Lucy Hanlon from Anderson Strathern, Rachel Giachinta from Fortinet and Adrienne McGrory from IBM at the See It Be It 2025 conference.
The conference forms part of the Centreโs wider See It Be It programme, which aims to tackle the cyber sectorโs gender imbalance by improving visibility, access and support for women considering careers in cyber. According to the UK Governmentโs latest Cyber Security Sectoral Analysis, the number of cyber security firms active within the UK has increased by 20 per cent over the last year. And yet despite this boom, women make up just 17.5pc of cyber roles in the UK.
Jude McCorry, CEO of Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland, said: โAcross Scotland, there is no shortage of talented young women interested in cyber security, but many still struggle to see a clear pathwayinto the industry โ in part because of the narrow view they have of what a career in cyber security looks like. The reality is that the sector offers a huge variety of roles, from technical and analytical positions to careers in communications, policy, education, law and project management. See It Be It is designed tochallenge those misconceptions, creating real opportunities for connection, and showing young people that a future in cyber security is both achievable and rewarding.
โThe impact of this is far-reaching. A more diverse cyber workforce strengthens the sector by bringing different perspectives and approaches to problem-solving. At a time when the cyber security landscape is more challenging than ever, that diversity is desperately needed to achieve successful outcomes. By making cyber security careers more visible and accessible, we can help Scotland close the cyber gender gap and shore up its defences.โ
Judith Cruickshank, Scotland Board Chair Royal Bank of Scotland, said โCyber security is absolutely vital to a wide range of sectors, not least financial services. Yet for many young people it can be difficult to understand what career opportunities there are and this is especially true for women who are underrepresented in cyber security roles. That is why the Royal Bank of Scotland is proud to support this yearโs See It Be It conference. Events like these are essential in showcasing pathways into cyber security and inspiring talented young women to pursue a career in a diverse and evolving specialism, that is only going to grow importance to our entire economy in the years ahead.โ
Richard Woolfrey, Regional Director UK and Ireland of Fortinet, said: โAs global demand for cybersecurity professionals grows, representation remains uneven. At Fortinet, we believe that building a stronger, more diverse cyber workforce starts with making the industry more visible, accessible, and inclusive for the next generation. We are partnering with several organisations and initiatives, such as See It Be It, to help break down barriers and create opportunities for women and other underrepresented groups to thrive in cybersecurity.โ
See It Be It activities inย the past 12 months, have engaged more than 20 schools and over 200 schoolgirls from across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.ย Previous events included the Cyber Ladies Afternoon Tea, delivered alongside Check Point and Accenture, which brought together cyber professionals, industry leaders and school pupils to discuss barriers facing women in cyber.
Summing up her experience of the afternoon tea, one student attendee said: โListening to the stories of women who have made an impact in cyber has shown me that the industry is full of incredible opportunities. There are so many paths I can take, and I now feel more confident about pursuing a career in cyber.โ
A See It Be It Webinar enabled students and role models from across Scotland to connect virtually, explore pathways into cyber security and discuss the opportunities available within the sector.
Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland plans to expand the See It Be It community over the year by organising further school visits and industry open days, promoting internships and entry-level jobs and participating in cyber competitions, alongside a range of other activities designed to support young women at every stage of their cyber journey.ย Schools, educators and students can find further information and registration details here. The Centre is also running a competition for Scottish high schools, giving winning schools the chance to bring up to ten female pupils to the conference, with travel bursaries available where required.
Companies and professionals interested in speaking, exhibiting in the careers hub or delivering an interactive activity are invited to register via the website.ย ย
