By: Daniela Lastra | Latinitas Magazine
Relax, you haven’t really been hacked and it’s thanks to these guys. Eddy Reyes and Zuby Onwuta who led a panel during SXSW on Saturday, March 10, 2018 on building Latinx hacker communities in Austin.
When we think “hacker,” we think of the Hollywood archetype, a seedy individual in a dark basement working to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data from their computers. The reality is that not all hackers are bad, in fact, Onwuta and Reyes are quite the heroes of our generation because they work on building cybersecurity communities invested in keeping our information safe.
Technology is a fragile component of everyday life. It has become heavily integrated into people’s activities and revolutionized the way they communicate, travel, live, and so much more. It is no surprise the saying goes “technology moves fast” but current and future generations will have to take precautions in protecting sensitive operating systems against those with malicious intent, like hackers.
One way to do this is to have young people lean in on the opportunity to gain professional and technical coding skills necessary to compete at a global level. As the Silicon Valley of Texas, as Austin is known, continues absorbing the presence of high-tech corporations, it is important for the Latinx youth community to explore the cybersecurity industry as a possible career choice.
Onwuta and Reyes said the cybersecurity industry is underrepresented by the Latino community and is indicative of an even greater disparity when it comes Latina women. According to Onwuta and Reyes, one way to remedy this is by giving students the opportunity to explore the cybersecurity industry by getting a mentor and/or joining a program like those offered by Code2 College; an organization whose mission is to dramatically increase the number of girls, underrepresented students of color, and low income students who enter STEM undergraduate programs and careers.
Through the assistance of education and mentor programs, Latino communities can begin making an impact in the world of tech and cybersecurity by decreasing underrepresentation and protecting society from hacker criminals.
About the author:
Daniela Lastra was born and raised in the West Texas town of El Paso. She is passionate about female equality, leadership, and economic autonomy. She joined the Latinitas — Austin HQ in 2017.
