In June 2020, I was selected with 100 other girls across Nigeria for a six-month cybersecurity programme. I had seen the call for application on Twitter, and as someone who had been deciding to get into tech since I was a teen, I decided to give it a try. In the past, I had tried to learn several things on my own without making headway. The idea of having a community to be accountable to seemed like a good try. I made it to the interview stage and got selected. But, there was a challenge- combining it with the school. This is a summary of what the fellowship was like, my challenges encountered, and key takeaways for anyone aspiring to be a cybergirl.

In the first month, we were taught digital literacy skills, divided into peer learning groups, and assigned mentors from all over the world. Powerful women in the cybersecurity industry. My mentor was Miss Chioma Ilo, a cybersecurity consultant who did her best to get every girl in team incognito on board. The first take away will be giving for girls aspiring for cohort 2.0 is;

• Leverage on your relationship with your mentors This is not to say you should appear thirsty or push the boundaries of your relationship. Carry them along in everything you do. Communicate! One of the things I learned as a cybergirl was communication. Be vocal about your challenges, discomfort, or areas where you need help. Opportunities only come to those who seek them. Even though you may get rejections, not speaking at all is a worse situation to be. Every Friday, we had a tradition called cyberfriday. We discussed two cybersecurity articles that mostly involved recent cyber threats, new variations of malware, etc. this kept us on our toes familiarized us with the terms and how things we learned were applied in the real world. This brings me to the second point:

• Make yourself seen. Participate, participate, participate. Put your all into activities required of you. Is a volunteer needed for something? Speak up for the position and do your very best at it. The facilitators, program leads, investors, cybersecurity professionals from all around the world, etc, are watching every move. Arrive at the hub on time, communicate when you cannot perform certain activities, be dedicated. Be committed, not just interested. One thing the cybergirls fellowship does is that it accommodates everyone’s learning differences. You are taught from the very basics, no one is left out. There is a space for everyone. There is no assumption that everyone automatically knows how to use a computer. Our learning involved peer group activities each day, presentations, and the use of videos in the first month. This brushed up our confidence, presentation skills, and public speaking abilities. At the end of the month, we had an Open day where each peer learning group chooses a relevant topic and makes a presentation on it. Mentors, coaches, cybersecurity professionals from all around the world, and practically every one, is invited to watch. My peer learning group, team Incognito- Enugu hub, took the first position. (That’s right!).

• Don’t feel defeated if your team doesn’t come first There are a lot of prizes attached to the emerging best team during the open day. However, it is not a defining moment. Do not let the feeling of defeat envelop you. During the third month of the training, my team worked on the open day project with the topic, Open Source Intelligence Gathering using Shodan. We were to utilize shodan in finding open ports and vulnerable devices. One of the precautions while using Shodan is to use a VPN. We failed to practice enough of the presentation simulation before the open day, and unfortunately, we did not discover that using a VPN invariably meant the network would be slower. Nothing opened! It was a painful moment but we learned a valuable lesson about the importance of practicing consistently. What I want to point out is that moment never defined us. Presently, two of my teammates have secured cybersecurity analyst jobs and paid internships in a health tech company (Right after graduation!). The ability to learn and improve trumps all. At the end of each month, the EGO foundation taught us soft skills. The last week of each month was dedicated to learning about teamwork, emotional intelligence, communication, branding, etiquettes, how to conduct yourself in interviews, etc. The cybergirls programme will teach you to become well-rounded, to win in every facet of cybersecurity. No stone was left unturned. None at all! Shout out to Mr. Toluwase Oluwase, Mrs. IFreke Brendan, and other amazing people at the EGO foundation. I can’t thank you enough.

In the second month, we were introduced to cybersecurity awareness, and after that, we began getting our hands dirty! We began the real practicals using Cybrary, Try to Hack Me, and other platforms that provided attack simulations and applications of the fundamental Linux commands we had learnt. We began using tools like Nmap, Wireshark, Metasploit, and putty. The open day projects became more technical and hands-on. Mrs. Confidence Staveley continued to motivate us to aspire to become top 1% on TryHackMe, This brings me to point four; • When you begin learning the technical stuff, avoid shortcuts Resist the urge to search for answers to the questions on tryhackme that were published online without first applying yourself. It is tough, but critical thinking helps you in the long run. The knowledge becomes ingrained and a part of you. In the fifth month, we were asked to choose a learning path. We could choose from Networking, Threat Intelligence, IT Security Audit, Penetration Testing, Incidence Response, and Web Application Testing. Point 5;

• Make your research before choosing a path

Ask questions, talk to your mentors and facilitators, and do your research to find a path that aligns with your core. Before choosing the path, we had sessions with cybersecurity professionals in each field. It was called, ‘A Day in the Life. They spoke about what they did, challenges, the fun aspects of their jobs, and we were allowed to ask them questions. I chose IT security audit and it has been an incredible experience so far. What I particularly love about the structure of the programme was that we all got an insight into what each path entailed. Like I mentioned earlier, no stone was left unturned!

I have so many people to thank! Thank you, Mrs. Confidence Staveley, founder of Cybergirls. Your passion and dedication are unmatched. Thank you for giving thousands of girls a chance to dream. Thank you, Miss Divine Omozokpia, Mrs. Iretioluwa Akerele. You have taught me that it is possible to consistently fuse passion into your work, to nurture a thing, and watch it blossom. Thank you, Mr. Obadare Peter, for the constant, motivation, and undying faith in every cybergirl. For each project, we were assigned, coaches. We had meetings that spanned more than an hour, twice a week. They put their all into training us, even past work hours. They listened to every question, soothed every frustration, motivated us when we felt low, spoke candidly about the options we had, Thank you so much, Mr. Ajibola Mathias, Mr. Habeeb Adebisi, and Mr. Chinua Katchy. Thank you.

To my IT security audit coach, Mr. Remilekun Adeopatoye, you are incredible! Thank you for making learning a fun experience, for carrying each girl along, and for breaking down complex subjects enough to be understood by everyone. Thank you so much, sir. To my facilitators- Mrs, Nkiru Okafor, Miss Chidinma Chimee, and Mr. Frederick Okereke, thank you! Words are truly not enough. Mrs. Nkiru, for your ginger, motivation, and motherly advice, thank you. Miss Chidinma, for constantly encouraging teamwork and daring us to dream bigger, thank you. And to Mr. Achiever, you are truly the embodiment of excellence. You have given me something to aspire to and our lives are forever changed because of you. Thank you for the extra resources, for sacrifice and dedication, for encouraging me to document all my learning on hashnode and other platforms (Now I have a technical writing portfolio). Thank you so much.

To my family, who upon the news of my getting into this fellowship pooled all their resources into getting me a laptop to also lead me through my school project, I truly would be lost without your support, I am truly privileged. A child raised by a village through and through, and I don’t take it for granted. Thank you.

To my roommate, Cynthia, for understanding when the lights have to be on at bedtime because I have a thing or two to complete. To my friends, thank you for your support and encouragement, thank you for sending links to more cybersecurity opportunities, for lending an earpiece when I have to join a meeting while being in class. Thank you to my IT security audit sisters- Onyinyechi Chime, Chika Patience, Nkenna Mary. Thank you for carrying me along when I got lost because of pressures from school.

Thank you, Enugu cybergirls for the sense of community and sisterhood created. I have never had anything quite like this. Being with you all was an enriching experience, and I can’t wait to see us all at the top. This brings me to my last point;

• Check up on your hub mates Show care. Send a text or call when someone is absent or ill. A lot of us were having so many challenges. One phone call could put everything in perspective and save one girl from quitting. Network with the girls in other hubs, expand your reach and make new friends who you can share value with. This fellowship changed the trajectory of my life for good. It taught me so much and I am a whole different person because of it. Joining the cybergirls programme is something you won’t regret. I am certain it will continue to become bigger and better. Go for it. This is my testimony, and I wish every future cybergirl the very best.