IWD 2023: Refocusing cybersecurity’s gender lens to defend the digital realm
While
we
all
know
the
benefits
of
gender
equality
and
diversity
across
business
and
society
equals
better
representation
and
outcomes,
there
are
still
some
remaining
bastions
where
men
continue
to
outnumber
women
–
one
of
which
is
cybersecurity.
As
Managing
Director
of
a
thriving
Sydney-based
Technology,
Consulting
&
Cybersecurity
firm
with
offices
in
4
states,
as
well
as
global
headquarters
in
the
UK,
my
role
entails
balancing
the
growth
of
the
business
with
the
demands
of
a
young
family.
Having
worked
in
tech-related
fields
my
entire
life,
I’ve
encountered
(and
overcome)
unique
challenges
as
a
woman
within
the
space.
I’m
fortunate
to
now
be
in
a
position
where
I
have
a
lens
that
is
specifically
focused
on
equality
and
diversity,
which
enables
me
to
actively
develop
a
team
with
a
range
of
perspectives
and
lived
experiences
that
better
reflect
our
community
and
which,
in
turn,
lead
to
better
outcomes
for
us
as
a
business
and
deliver
enhanced
results
to
our
clients.
Anything
but
typical
I
have
never
quite
fitted
typical
feminine
constructs.
At
school,
maths
and
physics
came
easily
to
me,
and
after
attending
an
information
session
about
engineering,
I
knew
that
was
the
path
for
me.
Despite
my
family’s
reservations
about
me
choosing
what
they
perceived
as
a
‘man’s
career’,
I
stayed
appropriately
stubborn
and
confidently
chose
the
path
that
fascinated
me.
I
completed
a
degree
in
Aerospace
Engineering
in
the
UK.
The
course
was
incredibly
male-dominated.
However,
it
didn’t
stop
me
from
receiving
an
invitation
to
complete
my
Master’s
degree,
the
only
woman
at
the
time
to
do
so.
Fortunately,
my
friends
and
peers
on
the
course
were
wonderful,
and
I
garnered
respect
rather
than
scrutiny.
Black
Hawk
coding
Working
with
a
defence
company
to
develop
special
head-up
displays
for
Black
Hawk
helicopters
was
a
game-changer
for
me.
My
role
was
to
develop
and
perfect
all
coding
for
landscapes
and
navigation
tools
which
were
to
be
projected
onto
the
glass
display
and
altered
to
be
displayed
inside
the
helmet.
Not
only
did
this
require
hundreds
of
hours
in
a
flight
simulator
and
a
two-year
dissertation,
it
sparked
my
absolute
love
for
coding
and
IT.
But
then
9/11
happened,
and
the
shockwaves
felt
across
the
world
had
an
immediate
impact
on
the
aviation
industry.
The
esteemed
graduate
program
I’d
been
accepted
into
was
halted,
requiring
me
to
refocus
my
energies
into
IT.
Banging
on
the
glass
ceiling
IT
in
the
early
2000s,
and
still
to
this
day,
was
male-dominated.
I
was
fully
aware
that
being
a
woman
in
this
industry
would
likely
ruffle
some
suits,
but
I
made
a
conscious
effort
not
to
let
my
gender
define
how
people
saw
me.
I’ve
always
understood
the
value
of
communication
and
lifting
up
all
members
of
a
team
so
that
the
team
and
business
as
a
whole
is
celebrated
as
opposed
to
putting
the
individual
on
a
pedestal.
As
a
young
and
hungry
IT
professional,
I
worked
hard
to
prove
that
I
deserved
a
seat
at
the
table.
So
it
was
a
significant
blow
to
be
conspicuously
overlooked
for
a
deserving
senior
promotion
that
went
to
a
male
counterpart,
highlighting
to
all
that
my
gender
was
the
difference.
Realising
the
glass
ceiling
at
this
particular
company
wasn’t
going
to
budge
any
time
soon,
I
focused
on
what
my
next
steps
would
be
and
what
sort
of
company
culture
I
wanted
to
be
immersed
in.
Culture
shock
As
the
saying
goes,
when
a
door
closes,
somewhere,
a
window
opens.
And
my
window
was
to
the
business
I’m
with
now.
Starting
as
an
Executive
Consultant,
I
was
amazed
at
the
company’s
culture
–
one
which
values
true
equality
and
diversity,
highlighted
by
the
fact
that
they
promoted
me
while
pregnant.
Every
person
reading
this
should
know
how
incredibly
rare
that
is.
If
we
can
instil
this
mindset
in
sectors
such
as
technology
and
manufacturing,
businesses
will
become
more
agile
with
differing
ideas
and
thought
leadership.
Gone
are
the
days
when
married
women
aren’t
hired
because
they’ll
be
‘trying
for
a
baby
soon’.
Men
have
just
as
much
responsibility
when
it
comes
to
child-rearing,
so
that
narrative
just
isn’t
viable
or
reasonable
anymore.
When
new
staff
members
start
working
at
this
company,
they’re
often
pleasantly
shocked
by
the
very
nature
of
the
culture
that
has
been
intrinsic
to
the
business
for
decades.
I’ve
worked
here
for
the
past
10
years,
seven
in
the
UK
and
the
last
three
in
Australia.
The
focus
on
positive
culture,
equality
and
diversity
is
something
new
for
many
businesses,
and
they’re
still
coming
to
terms
with
how
they
implement
their
strategies.
But
we’ve
been
addressing
business
culture
since
inception
nearly
30
years
ago,
as
well
as
many
other
amazing
traits
like
unlimited
holidays,
working
from
anywhere,
choosing
your
own
start
and
finish
times
and
being
able
to
own
shares
in
the
business.
While
this
sounds
somewhat
more
familiar
today,
this
culture
was
unheard
of
30
years
ago!
Refocussing
the
lens
Women
(and
other
gender
&
cultural
groups)
bring
a
wide
range
of
ideas,
opinions,
critical
and
strategic
thinking
skills
to
a
business.
Women,
in
particular,
need
to
be
encouraged
and
supported
and
have
the
glass
ceiling
shattered
for
them
to
ignite
the
industry.
Despite
strict
legislation
surrounding
anti-discrimination
in
the
workplace,
women
are
still
not
receiving
their
seats
at
the
table.
In
this
company,
we
don’t
look
to
quotas
or
diversity
targets
or
for
qualifications
or
prerequisites.
Instead,
we
hire
for
the
person,
their
passion,
critical
thinking,
and
agility
they
can
bring
to
the
business.
The
innate
skills
and
attributes
that
many
women
possess,
such
as
staying
focused
and
calm
under
pressure,
juggling
a
multitude
of
issues,
and
highly
attuned
organisational
skills
and
coordination,
are
key
in
managing
a
cyber
attack.
We
need
to
actively
encourage
women,
and
all
diversity
groups,
at
High
School
and
University
levels
to
forge
their
own
path
within
the
tech
industry
and
inspire
them
to
join
and
make
waves.
About Author
