Creating Connections: Turn challenges into opportunities.

Staying Connected

By Jennifer Eiben, The CyberWire

Was this page sent to you? Subscribe here.

Welcome back! If you are new to Creating Connections, we are happy you joined us. Please check out last month’s issue as much of the info is not time-sensitive and there are some great resources for women in cyber. In the spirit of socially-distancing, we postponed our annual Women in Cyber Security reception until October 2021 and launched this newsletter in its stead. We have some other exciting plans in the hopper that we will share soon. As our women in cybersecurity audience grows daily, we welcome our first sponsor of this newsletter, Recorded Future. Should you or your company have any interest in sponsoring Creating Connections or any other women-focused efforts of the CyberWire, be sure to contact our team. As always, our team welcomes your suggestions and contributions as we move ahead in these new ways of doing things. Have a great month!

Read a good article relating to Women in Cyber recently? We’d love to hear about it! Please email us with the link and we may feature it in our next newsletter.

Featured Cyber Women

Fragmentation, transformation, and cyber risk.

By Andrea Little Limbago, Interos

The ongoing pandemic has accelerated pre-existing trends that are reshaping globalization and deepening the fracturing of the Internet along competing technospheres. Digital authoritarianism – the use of digital information technology to surveil, repress, and manipulate domestic and foreign populations – continues to gain traction across the globe. A democratic counterweight to authoritarianism is necessary, built upon the aspirations of a free, open, and secure Internet. And along the way, organizations need to understand this major transformation and adjust their cyber risk calculus accordingly. These are no easy tasks and require input, ideas, and advocates from across the cybersecurity community to help shape our digital future. I can’t think of a better audience up to that task than the women in the cyber community. Read the full abstract.

Understanding User Security Habits with Behavioral Analytics.

By Dr. Margaret Cunningham, Forcepoint

Let’s face it — security training results do not reflect our security behaviors.

Research shows a mismatch between self-reported security awareness and actual behavior, as perfect scores and desirable responses don’t transfer to real-world behaviors. However, behavior-based strategies more closely align with how a person responds to threats.

While training will not be replaced anytime soon, and some training strategies are markedly better than others, organizations that are serious about building resiliency against cyberthreats must invest in understanding human behavior. Read more in the article, Believe What I Do, Not What I Say - Understanding User Security Habits with Behavioral Analytics.

Turn challenges into opportunities.

By Kelsea Bond, The CyberWire

On our Career Notes Podcast, Bilyana Lilly, a cybersecurity and disinformation researcher from the Rand Corporation joined us to discuss her journey and experiences in the industry. She started her career as a foreign student and worked her way up to becoming an expert on Russian strategic thinking. Not only did Bilyana strive to succeed in an industry with very little female presence, she was also foreign to every country that she studied and worked in, making her also have to gain the trust of her fellow students and colleagues. Her advice: welcome the challenges and see them as opportunities. It’s ok to not know everything, and people in this industry really do want to help. There are plenty of resources to get you started and help you along the way, and Bilyana outlines a few of these in her story.

Check out the interview. It's under seven minutes, and you’ll understand why we regard her as an industry badass.

Women on the CyberWire

Camille Stewart from Google and Lauren Zabierek from Harvard’s Belfer Center on the #Sharethemicincyber event and why systemic racism is a threat to cybersecurity on the Daily Podcast.

Kathleen Booth: Get your foot in the door and prove your worth on the Career Notes podcast.

Kiersten Todt from the Cyber Readiness Institute on how COVID-19 has changed small business security and what to expect going forward on the Daily Podcast.

Shannon Vavra with CyberScoop on her recent article, "Huawei execs admit they don't know whether their tech is used for surveillance” on the Caveat podcast.

Maggie Jauregui, security researcher at Intel on firmware threats on the Research Saturday podcast.

Bilyana Lilly: Turn challenges into opportunities on the Career Notes podcast.

Ann Johnson from Microsoft discussing her keynote at RSA APJ, The Rise of Digital Empathy on the Daily Podcast.

Hilary Wandall, SVP of Privacy Intelligence at TrustArc, on healthcare privacy issues on the Caveat podcast.

Ashlee Benge, formerly from ZeroFox, on emerging and persistent digital attack tactics facing the financial services industry on the Daily Podcast.

Andrea Little Limbago on cyber in a re-globalized world system on the Daily Podcast.

Dominique Shelton Leipzig from Perkins Coie LLP on the CA Consumer Privacy Act on the Daily Podcast.

Dominique Shelton Leipzig: No matter the statistics, even if against the odds, focus on what you want on the Career Notes Podcast.

Malek Ben Salem from Accenture Labs on DeepFake detection on the Daily Podcast.

Elissa Redmiles, a Researcher in the Security & Privacy Group at Microsoft Research on the privacy concerns of the coronavirus apps on the Caveat Podcast.

Theresa Lanowitz from AT&T Cybersecurity on 5G security threats to businesses Daily Podcast.

Monica Ruiz from the Hewlett Foundation Cyber Initiative on the potential for a volunteer cyber workforce on the Daily Podcast.

Selena Larson: The Green Goldfish and cyber threat intelligence on the Career Notes Podcast.

Andrea Little Limbago from Interos on cyber regionalism on the Daily Podcast.

Professor Julia Lane, Professor at the NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service on her forthcoming book, Democratizing Our Data: A Manifesto on the Caveat podcast.

Carolyn Crandall from Attivo Networks on why human-controlled ransomware, Ransomware 2.0, is so threatening to today’s remote businesses on the Hacking Humans Podcast.

Rachel Tobac from SocialProof with her insights on social engineering and the Twitter hack on the Daily Podcast.

Kiersten Todt: Problem solving and building solutions on the Career Notes Podcast.

Andrea Little Limbago from Interos on supply chain attacks & risks on the Daily Podcast.

We welcome our newest partner to the show, Betsy Carmelite from BAH on the Daily Podcast.

Jen Miller-Osborn from Palo Alto Networks' Unit 42 group shares the research and findings on a malicious Docker Hub account on the Research Saturday Podcast.

Events

Women in STEM Speakers Series (Online, Jul 15 - Sep 30, 2020) The Women in STEM Speaker Series will introduce you to 12 inspiring STEM role models who have established themselves as experts in a variety of fields.

Cyber Carnival Games (Online, Oct 1 - 31, 2020) To celebrate Cyber Security Awareness Month (CSAM) and the critical role of Cyber Gaming in building a strong workforce, Katzcy Cyber Games has assembled a virtual festival filled with games of skill and chance, scheduled thrilling performances, and lined up activities and drawings that bring home the sights, smells, and tastes of the carnival.

Annual AWSN Women in Security Awards (Melbourne, Australia, Oct 13, 2020) Our aim is to raise the profile of the Australian IT Security, Cyber, Protective Security and Resilience industry to inspire young women and men to consider a career in this sector. We do this by honouring their accomplishments, value, and contributions to the Australian market and giving the recognition they deserve.

Rising Leaders Forum - EWF Virtual Workshop (Online, Oct 19, 2020) Announcing for the first time an opportunity for all millennial women in InfoSec, Privacy, and Risk to attend the Executive Women's Forum Rising Leaders Forum Virtual Workshop. If you cannot participate in the entire EWF Conference, we are opening up registration for just the Rising Leader Forum Workshop on Monday, October 19, from 11:00 am-1:45 pm ET for all millennials (born 1980-2000).

Hacker Halted (Online, Oct 19 - 23, 2020) Hacker Halted is a global series of computer and information security conferences presented by EC-Council. The objective of the hacker halted conferences is to raise international awareness towards increased education and ethics in IT security.

2020 Executive Women's Forum Conference (Online, Oct 20 - 22, 2020) The Executive Women's Forum (EWF) Conference provides the most comprehensive and unbiased overview of the current industry landscape for executive women business decision-makers and practitioners.

13th Annual Women Tech Awards (Lehi, UT, USA, Oct 28, 2020) By elevating the accomplishments of these women, the awards provide a platform that builds, extends and amplifies the positive and remarkable talent in technology. The 2020 finalists come from different roles and companies, showcasing the unlimited opportunities in technology.

Global Summit for Women in Tech, Law & Policy (Online, Nov 4 - 6, 2020) Over the course of this week, we will host a combination of on-demand and live sessions featuring women leaders in tech, law and policy. Each day will also include live networking opportunities and virtual activities to allow attendees to get to know each other socially. For more details, click the link below!

Day of Shecurity (Boston, Massachusetts, USA, Nov 6, 2020) A one-day conference advocating the inclusion of women & diversification of cybersecurity

She Summit (Online, Nov 9 - 13, 2020) Since 2012, S.H.E. Summit has been connecting, educating and activating new generation of leaders--and celebrated for our innovative and holistic approach. Women, men and all attendees will depart with replenished energy, personal breakthroughs, clearer vision, and powerful tools to propel your success on an organizational and personal level for 2021 and beyond.

Vogue Codes Summit (Online, Nov 10 - 11, 2020) Technology touches more roles and careers than ever before and continues to open up new areas of opportunity. The 2020 Vogue Codes Summit will explore technology as a force for good, how to create a culture of inclusion, and career-defining moments from top Australian business women.

Pennsylvania Conference for Women (Online, Nov 11, 2020) The Pennsylvania Conference for Women is a one-day professional and personal development event for women that features more than 100 renowned speakers sharing inspirational stories and leading seminars on the issues that matter most to women.

Women|Future Conference (Online, Nov 12 - 13, 2020) The Women|Future Conference encourages engaging connections, professional and personal development, and health and financial wellness through keynotes, educational sessions, and networking. From aspiring business professionals to entrepreneurs to executives, this evolving event features movers and shakers like you, looking to Cultivate their Tomorrow.

Women in Technology World Series Online Festival (Online, Nov 16 - 20, 2020) 10,000+ female tech professionals and diversity advocates from across the globe will unite at The Women in Technology World Series Online Festival this November. Join this week-long festival to celebrate the power of resilience amongst female tech professionals as we shine a light on the transformative tech engineered by women of all diverse backgrounds across the world.

Women in Tech Festival UK (London, United Kingdom, Nov 30 - Dec 1, 2020) Computing and CRN will be hosting an online festival: Women in Tech Festival UK will provide two-days of carefully selected motivational keynotes, case studies, panel discussions and mentoring. Our industry leaders will cut through the smoke and mirrors to encourage women to step out of their comfort zone and make achieving the ‘next step’ a reality, not a dream. Alongside this will be our remote fringe events such as mindfulness, yoga, zen den, nutrition zone and more to be announced.

Selected Reading

Women in Tech | Insider advice from female software engineers (YouTube) Seven women in tech working as developers or engineers give their advice to other women who would like to join the tech space. Huge thanks to our amazing gra...

Actionable advice on breaking into tech (and staying) as a woman of color - SiliconANGLE (SiliconANGLE) Actionable advice on breaking into tech (and staying) as a woman of color - SiliconANGLE

Enterprise Cybersecurity Certificate Program (Enterprise certificate program) This program is about creating thought leaders and critical thinkers who can bridge these gaps. This program is holistic and starts with the basics, covering terminology, breach case studies, cyber program roles, processes and tools.

The Accelerated Cybersecurity Training Program (Ryerson University) Our Program is an intensive cybersecurity training and certification program designed to give promising learners from diverse backgrounds the skills they need to launch careers in the cybersecurity sector.

How Chief Is Building A Network To Create More Women C-Suite Leaders—And Keep Them There (Forbes) According to the Zeno Group (a worldwide PR firm within DJE Holdings), their research (available via SlideShare here) showed the values rising most in importance in the pandemic were those associated with family, interpersonal relationships, and self-sufficiency, specifically Protecting the Famil...

Women In STEM Careers Could Lose During Covid-19—4 Steps To Help (Forbes) Women are still only 28% of the science, technology, engineering and math workforce broadly and only 13% of engineers, and a fraction of STEM leadership, but experts are warning that even those gains, could be lost due to the work-from-home (WFH) dynamic caused by this pandemic. Why?

Women in Tech: "The same salary for the same work should be a given" (JAXenter) We bring the most inspirational and powerful women in the tech scene to your attention. Meet Laura Fink, Head of Data Science at Micromata.

Women in Technology: through the eyes of my daughter | Mark MacNaughton | TEDxColumbusWomen (YouTube) Mark MacNaughton has been an Information Technology leader for many years. He viewed the lack of women leaders in science and technology related fields as a ...

Council Post: Four Ways To Intentionally Support Women In Tech (Forbes) As your organization matures, creating an inclusive culture becomes less about massive changes and more about the details.

Council Post: How Women In Tech Can Claim A Seat At The Executive Table (Forbes) To increase the pipeline of qualified women who will have a seat at the table, we need to promote and invest in ourselves.

Leading women in STEM push for greater diversity in aerospace - Runway Girl (Runway Girl) Fostering greater diversity in aerospace - and ensuring fair representation of women - requires an essential change of mindset and practices.

Athena Pinnacle Awards: Recognizing women in STEM (cbs8.com) Athena CEO, Holly Smithson along with Leena Patidar from Coin Up talked about what Athena is and how it helps women. www.athenasd.org

Black Woman in Tech Series || How I Got Started (YouTube) Black Woman in Tech Series || HOW I GOT STARTED This is the first video of a series I will be doing discussing my experiences being black woman in tech. Bein...

Women in Tech: Design Your Career (TechNative) Women in Cloud Summit 2020Women looking to get a foothold in technology need to start 'designing their career' instead of letting it unfold, says Seattle's leading business coach Akeela Davis.

Women Who Tech Launch COVID-19 Tech Challenge to Fund Innovative Startups Shaping the "New Normal" (PR Newswire) /PRNewswire/ -- Women Who Tech, the largest organization combating the severe lack of funding for women-led tech startups, opened applications for a new grants...

Women in Tech: Unique Perspectives (TechNative) Women in Cloud Summit 2020'Women bring so much #innovation' to the tech industry, says Ronit Bohrer Hillel, sr. director of engineering at Smartsheet.About Women in CloudWomen in Cloud is a community-led economic development organization, with a massive mission: to take action with global leaders, corporations and policymakers to help women entrepreneurs create $1 billion in economic access and opportunity by 2030. For more information on Women in Cloud visit our website: www.womenincloud.com

What Kind of Cybersecurity Leader Are You? (SME Advisor | SME Dubai | Magazine for SMEs in Middle East) Just ask most CSOs, and they will tell you they have ambitions to join the board as a key advisor. It’s in times of crisis that as CSOs we can either shine or hide away. We shine when we show that we are in touch with business drivers and are ready to adapt and evolve with the business, but still see the bigger picture. This is what a board advisor does. Greg Day, Chief Security Officer for EMEA at Palo Alto Networks predicts what the long-term digital risk profiles would be.

Melinda Gates: How To Get More Women In Tech (YouTube) "Women are so underrepresented in the technology sector in the United States, and yet tech is pervasive. It is changing our lives," says Gates, who has start...

The Security Chromosome - Women lacking in cybersecurity - Ridge Times (Ridge Times) Limited gender diversity within cybersecurity presents a risk to industry thanks to limited visibility

Women in Tech: "Aptitude has nothing to do with gender or inborn capabilities" (JAXenter) We aim to bring the most inspirational and powerful women in the tech scene to your attention. Meet Jessica Yu, Linux Kernel Developer at SUSE.

WiCyS CIC Kickoff Draws 250+ Women to a New Community for Cyber Critical Infrastructure (Capitol Technology University) The Women in CyberSecurity Critical Infrastructure Community (WiCyS CIC) is thrilled to have hosted their inaugural event last night and have about 100 in attendance and over 250 women connect to the new community.

‘Invest in Yourself,’ Female Federal CISOs Tell Women Seeking Cyber Jobs (Nextgov.com) Three female federal chief information security officers discussed how women can advance their careers in the cybersecurity field at a Wednesday webinar.

Leading the Way: Women In Cybersecurity - ISA Cybersecurity Inc. (ISA Cybersecurity Inc.) Thanks to the leadership of trail-blazing women in cyber, progress is being made to break down the barriers to entering and thriving in this exciting field.

The Women in Tech Festival is now virtual, and better than ever! (Computing) Grab your place now, with the early bird discount set to close on Friday 14th August

Cyber forensics student wants women to pursue careers in cybersecurity - Purdue Polytechnic Institute (Purdue University) Yansi Keim, a graduate research assistant in cyber forensics, was featured as one of the ”12 women of crypto“ in Women of Silicon Valley, an online magazine.

Smarttech247 launches cybersecurity course for women (RTE.ie) Securty service provider, Smarttech247, is offering a course for women looking to develop skills for a future in cybertech and security.

CyberKnight, Immersive Labs to host virtual Capture the Flag competition (TahawulTech.com) CyberKnight and Immersive Labs are set to host a Capture the Flag Competition (CTF), which aims to help cybersecurity enthusiasts in the region test, upscale and enhance their cybersecurity skills including offensive and defensive capabilities.

Academy for women in cybersecurity opens for applications (Silicon Republic) Smarttech247’s specialist six-week course is aimed at women looking to develop skills in cybertech and infosec.

Anne Neuberger, Director of NSA Cybersecurity Directorate, Discusses Cyber Threats for Upcoming Elections (Executive Gov) Anne Neuberger, director of the National Security Agency's (NSA) Cybersecurity Directorate and 2

Digital Resources from Lyda Hill Philanthropies Promotes Women in STEM (Dallas Innovates) The IF/THEN Collection aims to inspire girls to become scientists and engineers because they are 'exciting, relevant, and cool.' As part of the project's kickoff, IF/THEN will offer a $1 million matching fund for teachers and a $650,000 grant program for science and technology centers and museums.

Katherine Arrington, CISO for DoD Acquisition Office, to be Featured as Keynote Speaker at Potomac Officers Club’s Fall 2020 CMMC Forum on Oct. 7th (GovCon Wire) Katherine Arrington, chief information security officer (CISO) for the Office of the Under Secretary

Women in the News

Women in Technology Announces WIT Campus and WIT Girls 2020 Scholarshi (PRWeb) Women in Technology (WIT) announced the WIT Girls and WIT Campus Scholarship Winners at its Virtual WIT Connect Gala, presented by State Farm, last night, Thursday,

Stellar Cyber’s Aimei Wei Named One of the Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity for 2020 () Stellar Cyber’s Aimei Wei Named One of the Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity for 2020

NeuVector CEO Stephanie Fohn Named One of Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity for 2020 (NeuVector) Presented at Black Hat USA 2020, the Black Unicorn Awards honor the top women leading technology innovation in cybersecurity

thyssenkrupp Elevator's Alison Powers Wins Women of Technology Award (PR Newswire) thyssenkrupp Elevator's Head of the Innovation and Qualification Center and Test & Qualification, NA, Alison Powers, was awarded the Women of...

Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Winner for 2020 (Cyber Defense Awards) The Black Unicorn Awards normally take place during Black Hat USA, however, due to COVID-19, the Black Hat USA 2020 event has become a virtual event.

Jessica Smith Named Winner in Cyber Defense's Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity, 2020 (PR Newswire) The Crypsis Group, a leading incident response, risk management and digital forensics firm, today announced that Senior Vice President of...

PepsiCo Chief Information Security Officer Sara Andrews Joins FireEye Board of Directors () FireEye, Inc. (NASDAQ: FEYE), the intelligence-led security company, today announced that Sara Andrews has been appointed to the FireEye board of dire

TAG Hires Former Citigroup Head of Threat Intelligence, Danielle Meah, as Director of Threat Intelligence (StreetInsider.com) The Trustworthy Accountability Group (TAG), a self-regulatory advertising industry initiative to fight criminal activity in the digital advertising supply chain, today announced the hiring of Danielle...

Infocyte Appoints Virginia Satrom as Vice President of Marketing - Infocyte (Infocyte) Infocyte announced today that it has expanded its executive leadership team with the appointment of Virginia Satrom as Vice President of Marketing.

SAIC names senior VP of strategy | Virginia Business (Virginia Business) Reston-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced Tuesday it has hired Nyla Beth Gawel as senior vice president of strategy. With more than two decades of experience, Gawel was most recently the director of public sector strategy with Verizon Business Group, where she led strategy and development for the company’s public…

Nyla Beth Gawel Joins SAIC as Senior VP, Strategy - Homeland Security Today () Nyla Beth Gawel has joined Science Applications International Corp. (NYSE: SAIC) as senior vice president of strategy. In this new role, she will be responsible for developing the company’s strategy to drive significant organic growth and market leadership, working with leaders across the organization to ensure strategic business plans are successfully executed. Gawel brings years…

ESET Announces Winners of 2020 Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship Awards (PR Newswire) ESET, a global leader in cybersecurity, today announced the winners of the fifth annual ESET Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship. Designed to...

Trend Micro CEO Eva Chen Named One of the Top 100 Women in Cybersecurity for 2020 (PR Newswire) Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704; TSE: 4704), the leader in cloud security, today announced its CEO and co-founder Eva Chen has been...

One Last Thing

Would you like to be featured in a future issue of the Creating Connections newsletter? We are currently accepting submissions for pieces written by women, about women, and information on women in cyber related events. Email us to get started.