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Written by: Vickie Zisman

8954509_sI am sure Mel Brooks or Jay Roach (Austin Powers) would love to adapt the following for the screen:  Matta Harry, Stella Rimington, Judi Dench, Julia Pierson and Kristina Svechinskaya – what’s the connecting principle?

You haven’t guessed, I presume. When it comes to women, fiction and reality intertwine and it’s really hard to tell them apart. Who inspired what: the real Matta Harry fuelled the imagination of James Bond’s directors who “appointed” the first female M (Judi Dench)? Or maybe it was the real-life MI5 boss Stella Rimington that left an impact on the plot. Julia Pierson, the new Head of the American Secret Service, appointed recently by Obama, will inspire the next Hollywood thriller, I am sure.

Women and security, reality and fiction – two of the most intriguing subjects. Speaking of which, in light of the recent cyberattack, I was curious to examine how women are positioned in this sphere.

Apparently, there are only few female hackers. A 2009 report out of SUNY Buffalo cites that just 13 percent of cybersecurity professionals are women, and figures for Europe and Asia are lower. And the general rule of excellence vs numbers is valid here as well – tiny minority, but the ones that are there are top notch. Kristina Svechinskaya – the notorious money mule – being just one example. However, most of the female-hackers activity is an ideological one: these queens of pirated software take on anti-child-porn crusades, are political activists and lead various social cause private and public campaigns.

What explains these low numbers? Well, the rampant lad-culture is cited as main reason. Hackers world is repelling women by being a boys-only-club. Women are the prize to be gained for outstanding achievement – as in too many other spheres, sadly.

The press reported that one of hackers in the recent attack on Israeli sites was an Indonesian 9-year old boy. And if it were a girl? A great role-model for young girls, don’t you think? Or if a woman hacker is an international press scream for breaking into Pentagon site or playing with Soros’ account, it may encourage girls and women to join the ranks. After all: “Whatever you hack, I can hack better”

is more than applicable here.

Did I just come up with the battle slogan for Women-Hacker Association?