On October 3, Leadership Connect hosted a webinar featuring four outstanding women in cybersecurity roles. The panel gathered to discuss the importance of diversity in the field and their overall best practices for finding success as a cybersecurity professional.
As October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, cyberthreats and cybersecurity policies are a hot topic, with lots of advice and opinions being voiced from all sides. This webinar gave Leadership Connect’s audience the opportunity to hear about a hot topic from an all-women’s perspective, giving listeners potential new insights to see how their advice compares to others in the field.
As women only make up about 25% of the cybersecurity workforce, this panel was a unique look into how the minority members of the workforce see the evolving landscape.
Check out those insights and best practices below! Missed the conversation? Watch the whole thing here and make sure you follow Leadership Connect’s Events Page to participate in our upcoming webinars.
Cybersecurity: Where to Begin?
Our panelists kicked off the webinar by recounting their personal stories of entering the field and explaining how their careers have evolved. They noted that cybersecurity is not a linear career path. As an ever-evolving field, it offers multiple opportunities for growth. They encouraged the audience to always remain open-minded when navigating the field and always ready to pivot as new technologies and threats emerge. The speakers also zeroed in on the point that participants should try to shed self-doubt and trust in their expertise and never forget that the heart of cybersecurity is to ensure protection and safety for all people.
Prioritize Representation
Given that this was an all-women panel on a topic that is historically male dominated, the themes of diversity and inclusion came up several times throughout the discussion. Each panelist agreed that different voices, backgrounds, and perspectives are essential to successfully implementing cybersecurity measures for the public. Diversity in the field directly results in more innovative and creative solutions, especially as cyberattacks grow more complex. A diverse team also enhances a sense of belonging and creates a more welcoming environment, which, in turn, can lead to more inclusive recruitment in cybersecurity.
Networks
A key takeaway from the conversation was building your network and making your network work for you in an efficient way. Here’s some advice from the panel: You don’t need to know everyone in the field; you just need to know one person who knows everyone else and can introduce you. Leverage your connections to create opportunities and facilitate key introductions through smart, mutual connections.
- Pro tip: Did you know that most people land jobs through their connections? Use Leadership Connect Networks to find and cultivate relationships to open doors that may otherwise stay closed. Use our relationship mapping feature to find out how your key contacts are connected to your targets. You can also see how your network is connected to potential agencies or offices you need to target and use those connections to get an inside track to a direct introduction.
Check out an example here! You can see how two of our panelists are connected to each other. This is a visual way to see how you can get from one person to another and how you can make meaningful and lasting relationships along the way.
Never Underestimate Mentorship
A significant part of the conversation centered around the power of mentorship and paying it forward by being the mentor you wish you had. It’s vital to support others on their journeys by making space for everyone and seeing where you or those you mentor can fill a gap
On the other side, our panelist encouraged audience members to seek out mentorship themselves as everyone deserves someone who believes in their potential. Always be proactive in asking, “What’s next?” for both you and your mentees. Pushing, coaching, and advising are the three pillars of mentorship and can be the things to take your career in cybersecurity, especially as a woman, to the next level.
The Future is Bright
By the end of the webinar discussion, it was clear that the audience and the panelists think the future of cybersecurity lies in the hands of the people and the next generation as we continue conversations and attend events such as this one.
The women left us with these final thoughts: look for upskilling opportunities, mentorship is key, hone all your soft skills like time management, and the future is bright with the potential for inclusivity and empowerment. By supporting one another and amplifying women’s voices in this field, we can collectively shape a more resilient and innovative cybersecurity landscape free of fear and self-doubt.
