CybHER: 10 Years of Expanding Access, Building Talent, and Reimagining the Cybersecurity Workforce

Abstract: The cybersecurity workforce sector faces two pressing issues: a shortage of skilled professionals and an urgent need to broaden participation. Addressing these challenges requires more than traditional recruitment efforts—it demands innovative, sustained, and research-informed models of engagement. The CybHER™ program, founded at Dakota State University in Madison, South Dakota, represents one such model. It targets elementary and middle school students, particularly girls, and introduces them to cybersecurity through hands-on, immersive learning and near-peer mentoring. The impact of CybHER is evident not only in its direct engagement with over 50,000 students at 260+ events but also in its role in shaping the future of cybersecurity education. From 2013 to 2023, the Beacom College of Computer and Cyber Sciences at DSU experienced a 350% increase in female enrollment across its undergraduate and graduate cyber programs—a growth trajectory that aligns with CybHER’s mission to inspire and empower young women in cybersecurity. This paper outlines the framework, guiding philosophies, and measurable outcomes of CybHER, offering a replicable model for institutions seeking to expand access and diversify the cybersecurity talent pipeline. With strong support from public and private partners—including the NSA, NSF, and AT&T—CybHER demonstrates how long-term, mission-driven engagement can reshape participation in STEM and cybersecurity. The results speak not only to enrollment gains but to lives changed, communities empowered, and a workforce more reflective of the nation it protects.