Cognitive Profiles and Education of Female Cyber Defence Operators

Abstract

Rapid technological developments and definition of the cyber domain as a battlefield has challenged the cognitive attributes of its operators. In order to meet these demands, higher education programs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) need to recruit suited. Recruitment to STEM studies focuses on increasing the amount of females in these studies, and factors involving retention also needs to be understood. This research focused on assessing the educational setting of Norwegian Defense Cyber Academy and its factors in promoting female student retention in their computer engineering program, and profiling female officer cadets to see if any differences in personality, cognitions, and behaviours strategies exist between male and female cadets.