Though the curriculum is not yet finalized, the partners have a strong sense of which topics and skills girls will need to acquire before earning a cybersecurity badge.
Girl Scout badges are earned and then displayed on the uniforms of a Scout who has demonstrated their mastery of a certain subject. The new badges will add to those the organization already offered in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, frequently referred to as the STEM fields. In fact, according to a Cybersecurity Jobs Report, there will be a shortage of 3.5 million cybersecurity professionals around the globe by 2021. They now make up just 11 percent of the cybersecurity profession, according to the 2017 Global Information Security Workforce Study: Women in Cybersecurity. Getting ahead of tomorrow's threats requires a larger, diverse and innovative team of problem solvers-and more diversity.
Mark McLaughlin, the CEO of Palo Alto Networks, said in a statement that the organization's mission to prevent cyberattacks "is only achievable if we make meaningful investments not just in technology but also in people".
In addition to teaching millions of girls in the US about online safety education and privacy protection, the cybersecurity exposure and experience will hopefully spark an interest in some of them to pursue careers as "white hat hackers" and cybersecurity professionals, Sethi said.
EU gives $100M to UNICEF for Syrian children
President Donald Trump's administration, which had previously put Iran "on notice " for its ballistic missile tests, will respond. Iran has a large and diverse ballistic missile arsenal with weapons that comparatively more developed than the Zolfaqar.
The education program, which aims to reach as many as 1.8 million Girl Scouts in kindergarten through sixth grade, is being developed in a partnership between the Girl Scouts and Palo Alto Networks (PANW.N), a security company.
The Girl Scouts have announced an agreement with the Palo Alto Networks to develop the first ever series of national cyber security merit badges.
"At Girl Scouts of the United States of America, we recognize that in our increasingly tech-driven world, future generations must possess the skills to navigate the complexities and inherent challenges of the cyber-realm", said Sylvia Acevedo, CEO of GSUSA, which recently marked its 100-year anniversary.
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