Page 40 - Cybersecurity Career Guide for UT Austin

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workplace: Support for Minorities and W
DIVERSITY
REQUESTED
Like a lot of STEM fields, cybersecurity
has long been dominated by white
men — but that’s changing. Today’s
cybersecurity professionals know that the
best cybersecurity solutions come from
diversity. It’s been proven: Having a variety
of backgrounds 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 Britt, 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.
The cybersecurity field needs people from every background.