Secured by Women: Why we’re celebrating brilliant women in cybersecurity
Women have been at the forefront of tech innovation for centuries, from Ada Lovelace, the first programmer, to Hedy Lamarr, the pioneer behind Wi-Fi, to Katherine Johnson, the NASA mathematician who helped send astronauts to the moon. Today, women continue to transform the tech industry with impressive leadership and technical abilities.
Throughout my career, I’ve been fortunate to meet and learn from many transformative women technology leaders. Although each has taken a unique path, some of the most impactful women have a few things in common—they are resilient problem solvers with the tenacity to constantly learn and tackle new challenges.
I started my career as an IT engineer at industry giants like Cisco, where I was lucky enough to have a woman role model, Rebecca Jacoby, who was a highly respected leader at the company and went on to be the CIO for a decade. I watched her style and tried to learn as much as I could before obtaining my MBA and shifting my focus from manufacturing IT to marketing and strategy. That experience prepared me to take on various marketing roles and eventually led me to the executive leadership positions I’ve held most recently.
Despite the countless advancements women make in technology, they still represent only 38% of the STEM industry and 25% of the cybersecurity industry. Our culture at Lacework is built around making a difference by helping each other succeed while embracing an inclusive mindset. Today, it’s more important than ever to reinforce those values. That’s why I’m so proud and excited to announce Secured by Women to celebrate the women making positive impacts in security and to inspire other women to follow their lead.
Whether you know a woman just kicking off a promising career or a seasoned professional who could inspire others, we can’t wait to hear why you think she’s great. Our review committee of women leaders here at Lacework will select and sponsor five individuals to attend a major security conference this year. For every unique entry we receive, we’ll also donate $1 to Girls Who Code, a nonprofit whose mission is to educate and equip young women to pursue careers in technology.
Today, International Women’s Day, is a critical time to draw attention to the opportunities to bring visibility to more women in cybersecurity, but I’m proud to say Secured by Women will be an ongoing initiative that will extend far beyond Women’s History Month.
I’m very much looking forward to our upcoming CISO spotlight webinar, where I’ll be chatting with two brilliant women about their journeys to top leadership roles in tech. And to continue the conversation, Lacework will host a Secured by Women event series at major industry gatherings throughout the year.
We have the opportunity to initiate an industry-wide transformation, and I couldn’t be more excited to be part of this. Help us make an impact by nominating a woman who inspires you today.