Today is International Women’s Day and what better way to celebrate it than with a glimpse into the careers of four successful women in cybersecurity. At 11 a.m. ET, (ISC)² will host “Celebrating International Women’s Day: Carving a Cybersecurity Career Path.” This group of accomplished security professionals will come together to discuss why women should be interested in joining the cybersecurity field and ways to encourage this. They will also share highlights in their own journeys in the profession that led them to the leadership positions they now hold. You can attend the event live or watch the replay by clicking here: https://www.isc2.org/en/News-and-Events/Webinars/ThinkTank?commid=470265

The panel will be moderated by Sharon Smith , CISSP, cybersecurity strategy and advisory consultant, and will include the following security industry leaders:

• Clar Rosso , CEO, (ISC)²
• Aanchal Gupta , CISSP, vice president of Azure Security, Microsoft
• Lori Ross O’Neil , CISSP, senior ICS cyber security researcher & project manager, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, vice chairperson, (ISC)² Board of Directors
• Megan Hargrove , CISSP, cyber security incident response manager, Tech Data 

(ISC)² CEO Clar Rosso also contributed to an eBook from Cisco Secure that was recently published in the lead up to today’s holiday. “Lifting Each Other Up: A Celebration of Women in Cybersecurity and their Advocates” includes tributes by leaders in cybersecurity to the women who have impacted them and the profession most in their eyes.

Today also marks the inaugural meeting of the (ISC)² Global Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Task Force. This steering committee is the first step in a broader initiative that will focus on attracting and developing a more diverse talent pipeline in cybersecurity, accelerating more inclusive and equitable workplace policies and cultures, and supporting full and equal participation in cybersecurity education, training and employment at all career levels.​ 

Nearly two dozen Task Force members from all over the world will help shape and prioritize important topics for further research and exploration into DEI barriers and potential solutions, while facilitating new strategic relationships to support strategy implementation and maximizing the reach and impact of DEI efforts.

(ISC)²’s charitable foundation, The Center for Cyber Safety and Education, supports diversity efforts in cybersecurity through a series of programs and scholarship opportunities. Visit https://www.iamcybersafe.org/s/ for more details on the Center’s mission to make the cyber world a safer place for everyone. Programs like Virtual Take Your Kids to Work Day (happening on April 22) and others help introduce cybersecurity concepts to a diverse range of children at an early age.

What types of programs is your organization running to celebrate diversity in cybersecurity?