<div id="readability-page-1"><div>Chief security officer at Adobe, overseeing all security-related decisions and investments across the company. 
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Fifteen years ago, cybersecurity looked very different than it does today. Often constrained by its own narrow view of what a cybersecurity position could look like, the industry has missed the mark on reaching more diverse backgrounds and experiences. While the industry has made strides toward more inclusivity, past effects are still being felt today with the lack of diversity in the cybersecurity workforce. This, coupled with a common misconception among the broader public of what a career in cybersecurity really entails, could be driving this growing talent gap in the industry. 
We are working to make a positive mark on this dire situation. Roughly 2.8 million people work in cybersecurity, but the industry needs an additional 4 million professionals to close the current talent gap — a figure likely impacted by the effects of the pandemic. The responsibility for the tech industry is clear: We must do more to drive a culture of diversity and inclusivity while taking greater responsibility for the fundamental way that a career in cybersecurity is portrayed and perceived. 
 
Perception Is Not Always Reality 
When most people think of cybersecurity, they typically conjure a stereotypical image depicted all too often in films, TV shows and even news reports. It’s the tired image of a hooded figure — most often a man — lurking behind multiple computer screens and typing unrealistically fast while troves of code flash by. This inaccurate, narrow view has likely created a damaging perception of the industry, solidifying incorrectly what a cybersecurity expert should look and act like. 
 
However, there is some hope to further diversify the field — especially with more women occupying roles in cybersecurity. Women make up about 24% of the cybersecurity workforce, and while that is a significant increase from previous statistics, the industry needs to do more. A recent 2020 ISACA cybersecurity study found that only 13% of survey participants felt that progress toward diversifying staff was significant, and the vast majority — 86% — of cybersecurity teams are still staffed by more men than women. 
 
Additionally, there are many cybersecurity team roles that don’t necessarily require a degree in engineering. Experts in the security community consists of professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds and disciplines, including former musicians, attorneys, finance specialists and even teachers. Teachers are a prime example of successful candidates in the cybersecurity industry due to valuable soft skills, like patience, that are beneficial when working across multiple teams. 
Hacking The Perception Of A Cybersecurity Role 
If you take a step back, cybersecurity is all about problem-solving. We often find that individuals who enjoy doing crossword puzzles and solving online mysteries discover that a career in security is not only intellectually fulfilling but also fun. It is incumbent upon the industry to reframe what skill sets are beneficial — doing so could bring droves of new talent into the field. 
Our industry needs to shift toward using manageable outreach activities and scenarios to better attract potential candidates for the industry and encourage more people to share what cybersecurity truly looks like. 
Examples of organizations that encourage this include: 
• The Prelude Institute: This organization champions cybersecurity careers through diverse backgrounds by hosting a 15-week educational program for nontraditional students and successfully placing them into jobs in under a year. 
• Women in CyberSecurity: A global organization, WiCyS creates collaborative communities of aspiring women cybersecurity professionals for knowledge-sharing and networking.  
• Girl Scouts: As a widely known organization, Girl Scouts helps prepare girls for leadership, success and adventure. With the ability to earn badges for every new achievement and skill — including hacking and cyber badges, the Girl Scouts help plant the initial seed of interest in the field for girls. 
• Women Who Code: The organization aims to provide mentorship opportunities to women who excel in the tech space in the hopes of achieving a vision of better, fairer representation for women as technical leaders at all levels.  
Through modern apprenticeships, building unique and tailored programs, we can offer those who are interested in a career switch the opportunity to reskill and upskill, especially in the creative community. 
Employing inclusive recruitment practices to source diverse candidates and stop potential bias can strengthen the potential pipeline for more varied backgrounds in the cybersecurity industry. This starts with dedicating time and training programs to recruiters and hiring managers to ensure that interview panels are diverse and allow for inclusive opportunities. Alongside this, partnerships and sponsorships of events can increase awareness to candidates across underrepresented communities, such as those with AfroTech, Techqueria, Lesbians Who Tech + Allies, the Grace Hopper Celebration and BreakLine.  
Opportunities at the university and college levels are also extremely important. These can include historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs), tribal colleges and women’s colleges. Collaboration through these channels can help strengthen diversity in computing and engineering undergraduate and graduate programs at a national level, especially in organizations such as the National GEM Consortium, the National Society of Black Engineers and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers. 
Addressing misleading first impressions associated with the cybersecurity field needs to shift to better form a welcoming environment for candidates from different backgrounds. Ultimately, these changes become possible if companies are intentionally putting forth programs and initiatives within their teams, alongside accountability measures, for bringing diverse candidates into the field — especially in leadership ranks. 
Nurturing an inclusive culture in this important industry can bring a greater call to action for those who want to make a difference or change their career path while also building up a stronger infrastructure to protect against cyberthreats and adversaries. 
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We must do more to drive a culture of diversity and inclusivity while taking greater responsibility for the fundamental way that a career in cybersecurity is portrayed and perceived.

Council Post: Reimagining The Cybersecurity Workforce