Breaking the Bias in Cyber Security
I disliked the idea of parading myself as a woman in cyber – I have always defined myself as a human being who works in the tech industry, not only as a woman in tech, and that will always be the case. However, I have come to learn that life is too short, and it is important that we share our stories because you never know who you may be inspiring.
My Journey into Cyber Security
A few years ago, I found myself graduating from university with no planned next steps – I didn’t feel mentally ready to go into the world of work. I had always been fascinated by all things tech but wasn’t opportune to explore deeper because it just didn’t feel like the right course for a young Black Woman like myself (I know!). But at that point in my life, it was all or nothing, so I thought what better time to try something different. And that was how I discovered the world of cyber security.
With everything going on in our society today, it may not feel like the right time to celebrate but time is something we can never retrieve, and I choose to celebrate every moment, big or small. Today I choose to celebrate the life and progress of women all over the world whatever that may look like; women who are underrecognised, women whose skills are undervalued, women who wake up each day and choose to challenge the status quo, women who have paved the way for me in my career and my life in general.
It is important to celebrate the wonderful achievement of women who push through whatever barriers society has placed on them to be the people they are today. We may not necessarily be where we want to be, but I truly believe that we are always in the right place at the right time and every little achievement is worth celebrating.
Cyber security skills are skills that anyone who is committed could pick up but there needs to be a paradigm shift in our society today to enable young women to consider a course in cyber or any technology related course from early on without feeling the need to work multiple times as hard as their male counterparts. Cyber security is a male dominated industry, but it doesn’t have to remain that way.
Advice for Women Looking to Get into Cyber Security
My advice for any woman looking to get into the cyber security profession today would be to take the plunge. Do not let gender define you or what you should do in life. People will question you, imposter syndrome will creep in, you will doubt yourself, but you will be fine. During my cyber security M.Sc. course, I approached someone for guidance on a particular topic, only for him to tell me he didn’t think cyber security was the right course for me. I don’t think a man in the same position would have gotten the same feedback. It is often assumed that women can’t do things, don’t know things, and need help. That’s a big problem in cyber security, tech, and any male dominated profession. Just believe that you can, and you will, it really does start from within.
Aim for the best and do your best – do not let imposter syndrome drown you. Everyone is running a different individual race. If you must, be in competition with yourself and aim to be better every day. It’s okay to fall behind on targets but what matters the most is not staying down for too long because it gets harder the longer you stay down. Be resilient and take advantage of all the resources out there to get you going.
Advice for Organisations Looking to Diversify
My advice for organisations, looking to diversify their team; Women should not be used as checkboxes for diversity, they should be given the same chances and support as everyone else.
Final Thoughts
I love the work that I do, of course, there is always so much more to learn but approaching each incident with the analytic mindset of finding a solution makes it even more interesting. Like a secret service agent!