International Women’s Day on March 8 is a constant reminder that women’s leadership is critically important. Women’s international day is a celebration of the amazing achievements of women in all walks of life.
Though there has been big progress made towards gender equality, cybersecurity is known as a predominantly male industry, while women remain underrepresented in the field of cybersecurity. Enrol cyber security online courses today and join the growing community of women leading the charge in cyber security.
Why Diversity in Cybersecurity Matters?
There have been constant efforts to increase diversity in cybersecurity; however, the diversity gap is wide. Addressing the underlying biases and barriers preventing women from entering and advancing in the industry is also important. This includes promoting policies that can support the work-life balance and address the issues of pay equity and career advancement.
Currently, we need more diversity in cybersecurity. Companies ignore the data and continue to skew toward a more homogeneous workforce. Diversity is amazingly powerful, especially in cybersecurity career. It leads to smarter and more innovative ways of thinking, creates better-performing teams, and enables companies to serve customers globally.
This is especially important in cybersecurity, where teams from different countries and cultures must work together to defend against new and dangerous threats.
Success Stories of Women in Cybersecurity
There are many successful women in cybersecurity, but some amazing women are influencers and thought leaders. Here are some of them.
Tarah Wheeler, CEO of Red Queen Dynamics:
Wheeler is the CEO of Red Queen Dynamics, an information security consulting firm. She is an advisory board executive of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a cybersecurity expert for the Washington Post, and a Foreign Policy contributor on cyber warfare.
She led offensive security and technical privacy at Splunk and served as senior director of engineering and principal security advocate for Symantec Website Security. She has managed projects at Microsoft Game Studios (Halo and Lips) and designed systems at encrypted mobile communications company Silent Circle. Tarah holds a BA degree from Carroll College and a postgraduate certificate from Harvard University.
Parisa Tabriz – VP/GM, Chrome Browser – Google:
Parisa is a browser boss of Google Chrome and has been working to keep the browser history safe. She is also the head of the Project Zero security research team and is affectionately known as Google’s “security princess.
She has worked in information security for over ten years, and her career at Google has spanned several positions. Parisa Tabriz holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a Master of Science in IT (Information Security) from Carnegie Mellon University.
Brenda Ferraro – Senior Director of Networks, Prevalent
Brenda has over 25 years of experience in the computer and data communications business across multiple industries. Brenda Ferraro, Senior Director of Networks, Prevalent, supports executive and senior-level management by providing innovative and effective leadership.
She has previously held positions at Aetna, Coventry, Arrowhead Healthcare Centers, PayPal/eBay, Charles Schwab, and Edwards Air Force Base, where she led organizations in standardizing controls, responding to incidents, improving processes, data-driven reporting, and governance. She holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology & ethics from Northern Arizona University.
Jamie Smith – Chief Computer Analyst and Cybersecurity Officer at RSA Security:
Jamie Smith is the chief computer analyst and cybersecurity officer at RSA Security. She helps manage digital risk, including integrated risk management, threat detection and response, identity and access management, and fraud prevention.
After three years as the Information Technology Manager at ABC Technologies, Smith joined RSA. She holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in computer science from New York University.
Aimei Wei – Founder and Chief Technology Officer, Stellar Cyber
Aimei Wei has spent over 20 years in the Data Networking and Telecommunications industry. She has worked with companies such as Nuera, SS8 Networks, and Kineto Wireless, as well as established organizations such as Nortel, Ciena, and Cisco. She worked at Cisco, where she helped develop software-defined networking products before Stellar Cyber.
Wei earned a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Tsinghua University in China and a Master of Science in Computer Science from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
Promoting diversity and inclusion in the industry creates more opportunities for women and improves our collective ability to meet the challenges we face. As we celebrate the astonishing achievements of women in cybersecurity, let’s also reflect on how we can continue to promote diversity and inclusion in the industry. This will help us build a more robust and effective cybersecurity community for the future.
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