CyberSafe Foundation broadens training for women

By Samuel Olomu, Nigeria correspondent
Johannesburg, 03 Oct 2025
Confidence Staveley, executive director of CyberSafe Foundation. (Pic: LinkedIn)
Confidence Staveley, executive director of CyberSafe Foundation. (Pic: LinkedIn)

The CyberSafe Foundation has announced that applications for its API Security Academy, a 12-week intensive program aimed to provide advanced cybersecurity and application security skills to women across the world, will be open again this month.

The initiative, which previously exclusively admitted members of the CyberGirls Alumni Community, is now open to women aged 20-40.

Participants will gain hands-on expertise in securing APIs, critical building blocks of modern digital infrastructure through training in authentication, encryption, penetration testing, and emerging security practices.

Confidence Staveley, Executive Director of the CyberSafe Foundation, emphasised the program's objective of creating a future in which women are not only skilled but also well-positioned to lead cybersecurity.

“This October, for the first time, applications will be open to women everywhere who want to master API security. We are empowering women to innovate and transform how APIs are protected across industries,” she said.

Reflecting on past cohorts, Staveley noted that the academy has already delivered transformative results.

“One alumna, initially employed in a Governance, Risk, and Compliance role, leveraged her new skills to uncover dozens of vulnerabilities in a web application strengthening her company’s systems significantly. Others have pivoted into application security roles, demonstrating the academy’s impact on career growth.”

She stated that the training program is intended to fulfil the highest industry standards, covering API fundamentals, gateway security, PCI compliance, penetration testing, and even securing APIs for large language models and connected fleets.

The program requires participants to complete rigorous weekly tests and submit technical reports in order to measure progress and ensure mastery.

By expanding its reach, the CyberSafe Foundation is not only closing the gender gap in cybersecurity, but also fortifying global defences against one of the most critical dangers to digital ecosystems today.

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