Riyadh, October 05, 2024 – The Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) Institute has unveiled the strategic objectives of two major global initiatives led by HRH the Crown Prince: Child Protection in Cyberspace (CPC) and Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity (WEC). The announcement was made during the GCF Annual Meeting 2024, which was held from October 2 to 3 under the patronage of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, reaffirming Saudi Arabia’s commitment to addressing critical global cybersecurity challenges.
These initiatives target two of the most pressing issues in cyberspace: safeguarding children and empowering women in cybersecurity. HRH the Crown Prince's initiatives aim to mobilize global efforts and increase international cooperation, raising awareness among decision-makers about the growing threats to children online and addressing the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, particularly women.
The CPC initiative is crucial given the escalating cyber threats facing children and the lack of readiness in many countries to combat them. Currently, only 14% of nations have established a national strategy for protecting children online, despite the fact that around 72% of children worldwide have encountered at least one cyber threat. A landmark study conducted by GCF in 2022 titled "Why Children are Unsafe in Cyberspace," which involved more than 40,000 participants across 24 countries, helped identify key challenges and led to the creation of integrated strategies and national frameworks to protect children online. The initiative has already seen global success, with capacity-building programs targeting parents, mentors, policymakers, and other stakeholders, and more than 720 government agencies worldwide participating.
Further bolstering this effort, GCF, in collaboration with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), launched a program titled "Towards a Secure and Prosperous Cyberspace for Children," which created child protection guidelines in 25 languages, covering a wide array of regions. The CPC initiative aims to reach over 150 million children globally, develop cyber safety skills for more than 16 million beneficiaries, and implement child protection frameworks in over 50 countries.
The WEC initiative is designed to address the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals, particularly the underrepresentation of women in the field. With less than 25% of the cybersecurity workforce being female, the initiative seeks to close this gap by empowering women through leadership development, mentorship, and educational programs. A GCF study titled "Empowering Women to Work in Cybersecurity is a Win-Win" involved more than 3,000 STEM specialists across 26 countries and identified barriers to women entering the cybersecurity workforce, proposing practical pathways to bridge this gap.
As part of the WEC initiative, GCF launched the Cyber Leadership Launchpad, a mentorship program aimed at supporting women in attaining and sustaining influential leadership roles in cybersecurity. The program will feature international women leaders who will share their experiences and insights to inspire and guide women toward advancing in this field. The initiative has ambitious goals, including raising cybersecurity awareness for over six million students, developing cybersecurity skills for four million students, and offering specialized training programs for more than 30,000 employees worldwide.
The GCF Institute, a global, independent, non-profit organization established by Royal Order last year, is tasked with overseeing the implementation of these two initiatives. The Institute’s broader mission is to strengthen global cyber resilience through fostering collaboration, engaging in meaningful dialogue, and launching impactful initiatives like CPC and WEC.