A few weeks ago, I spoke on a podcast with some of my former colleagues about my experiences in the security industry as a young woman. TL;DR: It’s not always great, and that’s true for many women in the industry. We showed that in our research on Best Practices: Recruiting, Retaining, And Advancing Women In Cybersecurity.
That said, there’s a reason I stay in this industry despite it all — in fact, there are a lot of reasons, but one above all: community. The community is why I originally fell in love with the field, and that’s still the case to this day.
One aspect of the community that I’ve always valued is our amazing groups that support diversity in information security, including but not limited to Women in Cybersecurity, BlackGirlsHack, and Women in Security and Privacy (WISP). I spent time with many of these groups early in my career, and they helped me feel like I was part of a group whose members were women and had some of the same experiences I have as a woman in security.
On the Forrester security and risk team, we have a wonderfully diverse group of analysts: Our group director, Stephanie Balaouras, sets the tone, and five out of the seven security and risk priorities are led by female analysts (Sandy Carielli, Alla Valente, Enza Iannopollo, Jess Burn, and me).
Announcing Forrester’s Security & Risk Scholarship With WISP
This is why I’m thrilled to announce that Forrester is partnering with WISP for a second year to bring four women starting out in the field to Forrester’s Security & Risk Forum (November 14–15) this year. These individuals will attend the event in person in Washington, D.C., or through the digital experience, learning about the most cutting-edge security research in the industry. Apply now to experience:
- Free admission to Forrester’s Security & Risk Forum in Washington, D.C., and online.
- Access to industry-leading talks on security and risk topics, including generative AI, Zero Trust, security operations, OT/ICS security, privacy, and more.
- One-on-one mentorship sessions with Forrester analysts on security topics and career paths.
- Admission to the Women’s Leadership Forum, an exclusive event for women leaders in security.
- An opportunity to network with one another and with attendees, including CISOs from the largest firms in the world.
We highly recommend that diverse candidates looking to break into security, learn more about the field, and build their network apply.
Apply here by September 11 for a chance to attend.
