Singapore's Association of Information Security Professionals (AiSP) has introduced a latest mentorship program dedicated to groom female cybersecurity professionals in the country.

Currently, the Ladies in Cyber Mentorship program has seen close to 50 mentors from cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, audit, product management and marketing sign up. By the end of 2020, the association aims to double the number.

Here's what the program will include:

• Mentors will share their life lessons and work experience with interested students from institutes of higher learning in Singapore over one year.
• All the participants of the program will learn about the mentors’ work goals, skills, career progression strategies, education pathways and approaches to solving work-related problems.
• Participants will get an opportunity to experience  the mentors’ work environments, attend meetings and conferences, and review documentation and publications together.
• The female cybersecurity professionals who are part of this program will receive advice on job application, communication skills and teamwork, as well.

The program is sponsored by homegrown cybersecurity firm Ensign InfoSecurity and will be led by Sherin Y Lee, head of APAC marketing and brand communications at Ensign.

Lee is also the head of the association’s Ladies in Cyber charter, which was set up in November 2018 to develop, advance and include women in the cybersecurity field, with the aim of attaining greater gender diversity in the industry.

"Women have every potential to play a larger role in Singapore’s defence," said Lee. "AiSP (the association) aims to help them along by increasing their awareness of cybersecurity issues, drawing them into the industry, and progressing to leadership positions.

With rapid digitization the importance of having strong cybersecurity systems in place has also increased. However, when it comes to finding the right skills to develop such roubust cybersecurity systems companies and nations face a huge challenge. As per a report, the annual cost of cybercrime is expected to reach $6 Tn y 2021, yet the predicted shortfall in cybersecurity professionals is expected to reach 3.5 millon.

Considering the shortage of talent in cybersecurity, this is a good initiative by AiSP to bolster Singapore's talent development in an area that is priority not just for the nation but for countries across the globe. Keeping in mind Singapore's Smart Nation initiatives and the vision to build up its digital economy, strengthening of cybersecurity capabilities in indeed critical for the country. How the new mentorship program helps in building more skilled professionals in cybersecurity space is something to look forward to.