These Girls are Hacking the Future

Photo above: Students from the Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx explore cybersecurity activities.

By Rachel King
Originally published in MasterCard on October 8, 2024

When it comes to emerging technology, the young girls sitting cross-legged on the floor were clear-eyed about its potential — could robots solve climate change, they wondered — and its pitfalls — “AI can copy your face,” warned 12-year-old Mariely.

In fact, [Mariely], one of thirty middle-school students from the Young Women’s Leadership School of the Bronx gathered at Mastercard’s Tech Hub in Manhattan last week, summed up the pros and cons in one pronouncement: “AI could be smarter than humans.”

From social engineering scams to ransomware to disinformation campaigns, cybersecurity risks are rampant and growing, yet there is a huge global cyber tech talent shortage. [Mariely] and the other students donned purple Girls4Tech T-shirts over their school uniforms as part of a unique event for Cybersecurity Awareness Month that was both tailored for their age and aimed to harness the cyber insights of these young digital natives.

The space vibrated with conversation and excitement as the girls learned about defining a digital footprint to AI’s potential impact on daily life. They rotated between stations — exploring cybersecurity, AI and the Internet of Things, advanced fraud detection, cyber hygiene and behavioral biometrics — each designed to encourage the girls to envision themselves as the cyber professionals of tomorrow.