Aspen Digital

Check out the responses from WiCyS Conference attendees

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How do you protect your personal security online?

A big thank you to the many attendees who also visited our Take9 booth at WiCyS Conference. We had so many conversations on how others can bring the pause to their local communities and we’re eager to continue spreading the message.

Aspen Digital team members Devon, Amira, and Amy (left to right) behind the Take9 career fair booth at WiCyS Conference 2025.

Alongside our chalkwall and booth, Take9 collaborated with Fareedah Shaheed (known as CyberFareedah online) to engage with attendees on taking a pause online and showcasing content across the Take9 social accounts. Through her many discussions with attendees, Fareedah shares that “what amazed me most was how instantly people connected with the idea of pausing and taking 9 seconds. Every single person I spoke to (whether they worked in cybersecurity, cloud security, threat intelligence, cyber education, industrial fields, or even psychology) got it immediately. It didn’t need an explanation. I even had parents tell me how they already teach their kids to pause before posting a photo, downloading an app, or clicking a link. That kind of instant recognition is rare in cybersecurity awareness. I’ve been in this space for years, and I’ve never seen a campaign or tagline resonate this quickly across so many disciplines. It came up naturally in multiple conversations, someone would say, ‘That’s why you pause and take 9,’ like it was already part of their vocabulary after just hearing about Take9 at this event. That’s powerful.”

Fareedah also shared some of her learnings from attending her first WiCyS Conference and how genuine the care and commitment felt from all who attended. She shared “what stood out most was the intentional focus on people and families. As someone who works to keep kids safe online, it was deeply moving to see sessions that addressed parenting, youth, seniors, and the everyday lives touched by cybersecurity. So often, security conferences center data, devices, or businesses (which is needed of course!) but here, we also talked about people’s joy, safety, and futures. That shift matters. It reminded me that this work isn’t just technical, it’s human. And that’s where real impact begins.” 

We couldn’t agree more. When you bring women and girls into the mission, they commit to bringing in their communities because they know that it is critical to securing our spaces and nation. Thank you WiCyS Conference and all of the attendees for joining the Take9 movement and committing to taking the pause with us.