by: Ariunzaya Munkhbat
On March 25, 2026, fifteen girls between the ages of 14 and 18 walked into Telia’s office in Malmö to spend a day thinking like hackers, so they could learn to defend against them. The Cybersecurity Hackathon for Girls was organized by the STREAM IT Project in partnership with Telia Company AB and Girls at Tech Nordics, with support from three cybersecurity mentors and four representatives from the partner organizations. The goal was simple but ambitious: give young girls a hands-on introduction to cybersecurity, and open a door to careers in tech that too few of them currently picture themselves walking through.
THINKING LIKE A DEFENDER
The day opened with welcomes from STREAM IT, Telia, and Girls at Tech Nordics, followed by a keynote from Linda Delarvé, Cloud Security Architect at Redigo Cybersecurity, titled “Think Like a Defender: Outsmarting Hackers in Everyday Life.” Delarvé walked participants through how attackers actually think, and why habits like strong passwords and multi-factor authentication matter far beyond the workplace. The message landed: cybersecurity isn’t an abstract or technical specialty but it’s a practical skill for everyday life.
Room No.1 Phishing Detective: Outsmart Online Scams, led by Linda Delarvé, taught participants to spot fake emails, deceptive pop-ups, and QR code scams, and showed how attackers exploit ordinary digital behavior.
Room No.2 Secure Your Home WiFi Like a Pro, led by cybersecurity specialist Mariana Jamardo, covered how hackers scan for devices on a network, how to properly lock down a home WiFi setup, and why a VPN matters on public networks.
Room No.3 OSINT and Instagram Account Takeover, led by Bella Askholm Nielsen, an ethical hacker at Tech Collective EU, showed how attackers piece together sensitive information from social media and how a compromised Instagram account can happen more easily than most people think.
ROLE MODELS, NOT JUST INSTRUCTORS
Part of what made the day work wasn’t just the content. It was who delivered it. Every session was led by a woman working in cybersecurity today: a cloud security architect, a cybersecurity specialist, and an ethical hacker. For girls who may never have met someone in these roles, that visibility mattered as much as the material itself. Representatives from Telia and Girls at Tech Nordics rounded out the day, helping create an environment where asking questions felt welcome rather than intimidating.
WHAT THE DAY ACTUALLY CHANGED
The outcomes went beyond a fun afternoon. Participants left with a sharper and more concrete understanding of real-world cyber threats and basic defense concepts. Just as importantly, many participants left curious about cybersecurity as an actual career path, and reported feeling more confident around technology in general. For a group with little to no prior cybersecurity experience walking in, that shift in confidence and curiosity is the real measure of success.
WHY WONDERFUND IS STAYING INVOLVED
Days like this one don’t close a gap on their own. But they’re how the gap starts to close. Wonderfund is committed to continuing to back initiatives like the STREAM IT Cybersecurity Hackathon, a program that puts girls in the same room as real practitioners, lets them try the work rather than just hear about it.”
One afternoon in Malmö won’t change the numbers on its own. Repeated, year after year, alongside partners like STREAM IT, Telia, and Girls at Tech Nordics, adds up to exactly the kind of change worth investing in.
