Register for the CIRT-BS SheSecures Initiative to secure your spot.
Registration open: Now
Registration Ends: September 24, 2025
Event Dates: September 26–28, 2025
SheSecures is an initiative by OAS/CICTE And CIRT-BS designed to provide women with a fun and practical way to strengthen their technical skills through virtual cybersecurity exercises. Through this initiative, CIRT-BS aims to help close the gender gap in cybersecurity and promote diversity in the industry by encouraging and inspiring women to develop their technical skills and deepen their knowledge of this field.
SheSecures features an online cybersecurity competition composed of eight technical challenges based on real-world scenarios and the experiences of distinguished women in STEM. Participants must complete each challenge to advance to higher levels and earn points. At the end of the competition, participants with the highest scores will win prizes.
This program is open to women and girls aged 16 and older living in The Bahamas who are interested in developing their technical skills and entering the cybersecurity industry. The challenges will cover topics such as artificial intelligence, incident response, cryptography, web hacking, and forensic analysis, among others.
No prior knowledge of cybersecurity is required, if you get stuck, you can request hints to help you move forward. To participate, you need:
- A stable Internet connection (without specific restrictions on outgoing traffic).
- A computer running Windows, Linux, or MacOS with the ability to install tools.
Are you ready to join the challenge?
Register now to secure your spot.
Participation Guidelines
Participation is open to:
- Women and girls aged 16 and older living in The Bahamas who want to strengthen their technical skills and explore careers in cybersecurity.
- Individuals or teams of up to three members (participation is free of cost).
- To participate as part of a team, all members must register together following the instructions provided in the Competition Manual.
- Beginners are welcome, no prior cybersecurity experience is necessary, only a willingness to learn.
- Participants must have the required computer and internet setup listed above.
For more information about the exercise, download the Competition Manual here.
Speakers
Sametria McKinney – Director of The National Computer Incident Response Team of The Bahamas (CIRT-BS).
Sametria McKinney is a national leader in cybersecurity and digital resilience, currently serving as Director of The Bahamas’ National Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT-BS). In this role, she leads efforts to strengthen national cybersecurity capacity, build resilience across critical sectors, and coordinate the implementation of The Bahamas’ National Cybersecurity Strategy.
Over the course of her career, Sametria has broken new ground as one of the first women to hold top cybersecurity leadership roles in The Bahamas, including serving as the inaugural Chief Information Security Officer at the Central Bank of The Bahamas. Today, she continues to champion cyber resilience through technical capacity building, national awareness campaigns, and policy development.
Her passion extends beyond strategy and systems, she is deeply committed to advancing gender representation in cybersecurity, mentoring women entering the field, and leading child online protection initiatives across schools and communities.
Sametria’s leadership has been recognized globally: she received the ISSA International President’s Award for Cybersecurity in Public Service (2023) and the ISC² Global Achievement Award for Professional Leadership in the Americas (2024). She is frequently invited to speak at regional and international forums, where she shares her expertise on building cyber resilience and shaping inclusive, people-centered approaches to digital security.
Shakera Johnson – Director of Information Security, Cable Bahamas Ltd.
Shakera Johnson is a cybersecurity executive with over a decade of experience leading enterprise information security and compliance programs across the telecommunications and hospitality sectors. In her current leadership role, she directs cybersecurity strategy, regulatory alignment, and enterprise risk management for a major communications and technology group.
She holds advanced industry certifications including C|CISO, CISSP, CISM, CISA, and CRISC, and is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University’s Executive CISO program. With a proven ability to translate complex cyber challenges into business-aligned solutions, Shakera is committed to fostering a culture of resilience and security awareness at all organizational levels.
Beyond her executive responsibilities, Shakera is a passionate advocate for advancing cybersecurity across the Caribbean and increasing the participation of women in STEM, particularly in cybersecurity. Through mentorship, public speaking, and committee leadership, she actively works to break barriers and create pathways for the next generation of diverse cybersecurity professionals.