Creating Connections: Women in Cyber Security for 07.19.21
My background, like many others in our industry, is not technical. While I did teach computer skills classes in my graduate program, my degree is in policy and specifically economic development in Eastern Europe. Anyone out there speak Hungarian? I’d love to practice with you! So, while not technical, I was always inclined to the nerdy side of things and took a few tech policy courses in grad school.
Creating Connections: Be resilient.
Here we go. We are starting to move through that phase of the pandemic that some of us worried would never come. The world is opening back up. Vaccines are more widely available. In-person things are starting to happen again. What does that mean for you? Will you be heading back into the office full-time? Will you be keeping your current remote work practices for a prolonged period maybe just to be safe? Will you instead adopt a sort of hybrid version of life as we've known it since March 2020 with some in-person and some remote work?
Creating Connections: Recognize the opportunities.
Read any good cybersecurity books lately? Where do you go to get recommendations for books to learn more about the industry? One of my colleagues, Rick Howard, the CyberWire's CSO and Chief Analyst, helped to create the Cybersecurity Canon in 2013. According to their Twitter account, the Cybersecurity Canon "is a curated collection of "must-read #InfoSec books that are of the highest quality and, if not read, will leave a hole in the #cybersecurity professional's education that will make the practitioner incomplete." You can learn more about the Cybersecurity Canon here.
Creating Connections: Get your cyber house in order.
Calling all allies. What exactly is an ally? How is it that one becomes an ally? According to Merriam-Webster, an ally (noun) is "a person, group, or nation associated or united with another in a common purpose." An ally to women in technology, as an example, would work to make our industry more diverse and inclusive while supporting women within our ranks, and those interested in joining the cybersecurity field.
Creating Connections: Celebrating courageous women.
As you undoubtedly are aware, we are in the midst of Women's History Month. It is a wonderful sentiment, but one that lends itself to what we identify within our own industry, why just a month? Why just 24% (or so) of women in our industry? Why not more on both accounts?
