March 8 marks International Women's Day, which honors the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women.
Many cybersecurity companies are doing their part to celebrate International Women's Day. Here are three notable cybersecurity news stories you need to know about.
Lacework Launches "Secured by Women" Initiative
The "Secured by Women" initiative is designed to "honor, bring visibility to and increase opportunities for the women making history in today's cybersecurity landscape," according to Lacework. As part of the initiative, five women nominated by their peers for making an impact in cybersecurity will be selected as the first Secured by Women leaders.
For every nomination submitted, Lacework is also donating $1 to Girls Who Code, a nonprofit organization that is focused on "building the world's largest pipeline of future female engineers."
ESET Unveils Eighth Annual Women in Cybersecurity Scholarship
ESET will award two $10,000 scholarships to women in the United States and two $5,000 CAD scholarships to women in Canada, the company said. To qualify, applicants must be enrolled in a graduate or undergraduate program majoring in a STEM field. They also must be able to explain their career goals and what steps they plan to take to "pay it forward" for other women pursuing careers in STEM.
PureSquare Offers Free Cybersecurity Tools to Women in Journalism
PureSquare, a company that specializes in digital security and online privacy, is empowering women journalists to "report fearlessly while protecting their identity," the company indicated. To do so, PureSquare is providing women journalists with free cybersecurity tools that can help them "succeed in the digital world," CEO Uzair Gadit stated.
The Women in Cybersecurity Workforce Is Growing
An (ISC)² report indicated that women working in cybersecurity account for 24% of the industry's total workforce, up from 13% in 2017. However, this research also shows that women cybersecurity professionals typically earn less than their male counterparts. Meanwhile, women tend to fill more leadership roles than men in cybersecurity and "sit higher on the corporate hierarchy," (ISC)² stated.
International Women's Day represents a great opportunity to "remind women and other underrepresented populations that the security industry offers great opportunities to all," Radware Chief People Officer Riki Goldriech told The CyberWire.
There are many successful women in the industry, Goldriech pointed out, and International Women's Day "gives these women a stage so they can be positive, encouraging models to others and attract other talented women aspiring to have interesting and impactful careers."
Furthermore, International Women's Day can be used to highlight the "cutting-edge research and innovation" of women in cybersecurity, Nozomi Networks Security Research Evangelist Roya Gordon told The CyberWire. By highlighting the achievements of these women, younger generations may be inspired to pursue careers in cybersecurity.
