Sunday, March 8 is International Women’s Day, and in the U.S. the entire month of March is Women’s History Month. So, ThreatQuotient is taking the opportunity to celebrate women in cybersecurity. 

Women have long played important roles in cybersecurity. In fact, Liza Mundy, author of Code Girls, credits women with pioneering the field during World War II through their work creating and cracking codes. Yet despite having taken an early lead in cybersecurity, women are underrepresented, holding an estimated 24% of positions according to ISC2. Addressing the imbalance is part of the solution to closing the global cybersecurity talent gap, which has now surpassed 4 million professionals.

One way to encourage more girls and women to enter the profession is by raising awareness for the talented women we work with every day. To that end, here are some of the activities you can expect to see from us this month:

• A series of profiles about women in cybersecurity, featuring some of the many talented individuals here at ThreatQuotient and across our customer and partner community. You’ll be inspired by their journeys and hopes for women following in their path, and fascinated by some of their motivators, mentors and keys to success. Check back here throughout the month to read the profiles and follow us on Instagram and Twitter to watch brief video profiles.
• A webcast on March 17 at 1:00 pm ET with SANS to discuss their new research, co-sponsored by ThreatQuotient, on Women in Cybersecurity: Spanning the Career Life Cycle. Reserve your seat for the webcast here and be among the first to learn how nearly 500 women around the world, working in varied roles within the cybersecurity community, got their start, gained career momentum, chose their specialty and remain relevant. Their responses were surprisingly honest, which makes the findings particularly helpful for anyone within the field.
• Inspiration from the frontlines – across 50,000 hectares in South Africa that is. As many of you know, ThreatQuotient is an official supporter of an organization called Helping Rhinos. One of Helping Rhinos’ volunteer groups is the Black Mambas. This group of women focuses on anti-poaching and security of rhinos, conducting morning and evening patrols on foot and in vehicles. We’ll share how these (unarmed) threat hunters are advancing rhino conservation. 

Celebrating and raising awareness for women in cybersecurity is one way to cultivate additional talent. In the spirit of inclusion, we should engage in this practice year-round, and recognize and support the diverse group of people on the front lines who are working to make the world more secure. When we encourage others to join our ranks, we all win.

Happy Women in Cybersecurity Month!