The Origins of the Glass Firewall Conference
A conference for women who want to get into offensive security.
I’ve been in STEM since I began my bachelor’s degree. I studied physics and then went on to study electrical and computer engineering. Both fields are known for being male-dominated, and that was definitely the case at my universities. I was one of a handful of women in classes of more than 100. I’ve had my fair share of men talking down to me, explaining concepts I already understood without being asked, and getting angry when I outperformed them.
My experience is not unique. Women all over the world encounter this kind of behavior every day. I’ve watched men say things like, “You’re not smart enough for this job” or “I just don’t think you can do it.” Those comments killed the curiosity those women had about the field. Every time I witnessed it, I stepped in and told those women that they absolutely could do it if they wanted to, and that the guy they were talking to had no idea what he was talking about. But this issue is wider than just my immediate coworkers.
I wanted to do something about this situation. I wanted other women to feel empowered to pursue careers in ethical hacking and offensive security. So I went to my boss and said, “What if we made our own conference for women who want to pursue this career path?” She was immediately in. I wrote a mission statement and a draft schedule, and then we pitched the idea to other women leaders in offensive security. They were immediately in, too.
So we got to work. A small team of women volunteers from multiple companies put together a conference to encourage women to pursue careers in offensive security. We called it Glass Firewall: Breaking Bytes and Barriers. Our first conference was held on October 20, 2023, at GitHub’s headquarters in San Francisco.
What Glass Firewall offers
Glass Firewall is a free, welcoming event for women who are curious about security research, ethical hacking, and cybersecurity. The conference is designed to make offensive security feel accessible, whether someone is taking their first steps into the field or looking for a refresher. We want attendees to leave with a better understanding of the field and a clearer idea of where they might fit within it.
Our inaugural event brought together about 60 participants, both in person and virtually. The day included an introduction to bug bounty programs, a hands-on Burp Suite session, talks about web vulnerabilities and reconnaissance, and a panel of women working in cybersecurity. We closed with a web application capture-the-flag challenge, giving attendees a chance to put what they learned into practice.
Since then, the conference has continued to feature workshops, panel discussions, and hands-on challenges. I have had the opportunity to lead a hands-on hardware workshop, and I love seeing attendees discover that they are capable of more than they initially thought. The goal is not to assume that everyone arrives as an expert. It is to give people the foundations, encouragement, and confidence to get started.
If you’re interested in learning more, please visit the Glass Firewall website.