This Sunday, we celebrate International Women’s Day, a global day for championing the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women. This day also marks a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. This lack of equality becomes very apparent when we examine the technology sector, where only 25% of women hold positions in computing. What’s more, this figure includes women in IT whose daily jobs entail security responsibilities. For these reasons, it’s difficult to infer whether there has been significant growth in female security professionals.
The Need for Diversity
Diversity is particularly critical in technology, as it balances the make-up of the future workforce to better reflect the communities they serve. Because technology is so complex and dynamic, having a range of ideas and approaches from diverse groups can make a huge difference in problem-solving. By including underrepresented groups like women in security, there’s greater potential for tackling real-world challenges in the industry.
How to Catalyze Your Career in Security
1. Look for educational opportunities
This begs the question – how can women become more empowered in the security industry? For starters, young women should look for more educational opportunities to incorporate security training into their repertoire. In today’s society, millennials and Gen Zers are practically born with devices in their hands. Young professionals have probably gained a lot of tech exposure starting at a very young age. This natural knack for technology should be nurtured, which is precisely what proper security training can do.
2. Increase your chances of landing a job
Additionally, there is a growing need for security professionals in general, as the cyber landscape continues to evolve. This means the potential to get a job is high. Young women can seek out top-notch cyber education programs or courses at universities and colleges to set their security career on the right path. Plus – never underestimate the power of networking. Many educational organizations host networking events for security professionals. Meeting with these people can provide hopeful security professionals with insights on what it’s like to work in the industry, as well as best practices for helping to grow your career.
3. Take culture and diversity into account
As young female professionals begin to seek out their next move into the world of security, they must also be sure to take the company’s culture and diversity into account. At the end of the day, it’s important to work for an organization that creates an inclusive environment and nurtures innovation. Young professionals can even help to facilitate this kind of culture by finding ways to be involved in company initiatives that drive inclusion and diversity – this all starts with speaking with a manager or HR representative to find out how.
Making Strides Forward This International Women’s Day
This International Women’s Day take the time to reflect on how you can drive equality in your industry. Whether it’s taking that first step toward a career in the security sector or figuring out how you can make a difference at your current job, celebrate these opportunities and commit to striving for an environment of equality.
To stay updated on all things McAfee and the latest consumer and mobile security threats, follow @McAfee_Home on Twitter, listen to our podcast Hackable?, and ‘Like’ us on Facebook.
Stay Updated
Follow us to stay updated on all things McAfee and on top of the latest consumer and mobile security threats.
