Page 40 - Cybersecurity Career Guide, 4th Edition

workplace: Support for Minorities and W
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DIVERSITY
REQUESTED
The cybersecurity field needs people from every background.
Like a lot of STEM fields, cybersecurity has long been dominated by white men—but that’s changing. Today’s cy- bersecurity professionals know that the best cybersecurity solutions come from diversity. It’s been proven: Having a variety of back- grounds and experience on a team yields maximum creativity.
The field is committed to becoming more inclusive. Scott Young, executive director of synED, a major cybersecurity education initia- tive in California, has a message for anyone thinking about pursuing a cyber career: “We need you as you are! We don’t want you to change!” In fact, success depends on it: The more thought diversity a cybersecurity team has, the better.
Cybersecurity is so broad that no one should give up interest or opt out because of weak skills at the introductory class level. It’s possi- ble to get into the field through multiple means, says Davina Pruitt-Mentle, lead for Academic Engagement of the National Initia- tive for Cybersecurity Education (NICE). “As long as you have some good analytical skills and you’re willing to keep learning, we’ve got something for you.”
One key is to reach out for support. “Seek mentors both in and outside of the career who
can help you in the workplace,” suggests Charles Brit a cybersecurity expert and former CIA officer. “Have at least one trusted individual in your network you can talk to about both pro- fessional and personal challenges impacting your career as well.” But don’t be discouraged
if a mentor within your field doesn’t look like you. Kate Plough, a software developer with the NSA, found that men were ready to help
her advance her education and career goals. Above all, she says, don’t decide tech isn’t for you because you’re in the minority. Symantec, the company that developed the Norton anti- virus software portfolio, is committed to raising the percentage of women employed in cyberse- curity. It partners with numerous professional and educational organizations and has devel- oped the Symantec Cyber Career Connection to help prepare women and other underrepre- sented individuals for cyber careers.
There are more organizations ready to help you build up and connect than we can list here. Just for starters: Women in Cybersecurity, which has student chapters at more than
100 colleges; AllStar Code; the National Soci- ety of Black Engineers; Black Girls Code; and the Women’s Society of Cyberjutsu. And a new organization called Raíces Cyber is committed to getting 10,000 Hispanic students into cyber.