Northern Kentucky University sophomore Sarah Ogden has been selected to represent the United States on the first-ever U.S. Women’s Cyber Team.
The U.S. Women’s Cyber Team is made up of a group of women who are working to increase the number of women in cybersecurity. The team will compete in global cybersecurity competitions while serving as ambassadors, influencing future generations, and providing mentorship and guidance.
Ogden is one of 12 women chosen for the semi-pro esports team and will travel to Tokyo, Japan, in November to participate in a special women’s cyber games exhibition, the Kunoichi Cyber Games, at the 2024 Code Blue Conference. Ogden said making the team is a big accomplishment, one that she never imagined she would achieve.
“For me, it’s about being a representative and a role model for young women and girls who think cybersecurity is too hard,” Ogden said in a press release. “This is a field that’s attainable. I didn’t think that I could do it, but because I can, someone else can too.”
The U.S. Women’s Cyber Team is an extension of the U.S. Cyber Games, whose mission is to inspire new generations to achieve higher levels of competency in cybersecurity. The organization aims to bring cyber athletes, coaches and industry leaders together to scout, train and send a U.S. Cyber Team to the International Cybersecurity Challenge.
“Gender disparity in cybersecurity presents a global opportunity to collaborate,” U.S. Cyber Games Commissioner Jessica Gulick said in a press release. “By commissioning all-women’s global teams, we can collectively focus on growing this segment of the workforce specifically, thus creating role models and a pipeline of women for cybersecurity careers.”
An event celebrating the commissioning of the U.S. Women’s Cyber Team will be held at the United States Capitol building on Wednesday, Sept. 18. The event will be viewable via live stream, followed by a webinar with the team at 6 p.m. EST.
Ogden is double majoring in cybersecurity and data science. She will graduate with honors in 2027. Ogden also serves as the President of NKU’s Women in Cybersecurity and is an ambassador for the College of Informatics.
