Priya Patel
TLDR:
- Women make up a disproportionately small part of the security industry
- Female security leaders share their career paths and offer advice to women looking to enter the industry
It’s no secret that women make up a disproportionately small part of the security industry. This International Women’s Day, female security leaders share their career paths and offer advice to women looking to enter the industry. Caroline Vignollet, SVP Research & Development of OneSpan, emphasizes the progress made in how women are perceived in the technology industry but acknowledges that STEM careers remain male-dominated. There is a need to challenge the status quo and encourage women to pursue careers in technology fields.
Helena Schwenk, VP Chief Data & Analytics Officer at Exasol, reflects on the changes she has seen in the industry over the course of her career, including improved parental leave policies and work-life balance initiatives. She stresses the importance of offering flexible work arrangements to support people from all backgrounds and increase inclusiveness in STEM fields.
Jennifer Mahoney, Manager, Data Governance, Privacy and Protection at Optiv, discusses the underrepresentation of women in privacy and security fields and the unique perspectives they bring to solve complex privacy and ethical issues. She advocates for promoting ethical data handling principles and fostering transparency and accountability in the age of privacy and AI.
The article highlights the importance of diversity in security leadership and management, and the need for a more inclusive workplace culture to close the gender gap in security. Women in cybersecurity bring valuable perspectives and insights to the field, contributing to building a more equitable and privacy-respecting world.
