When it comes to bringing diversity into the cybersecurity industry, let’s start by acknowledging that while the term “minority” may have served to characterize racially or ethnically diverse populations among the majority, it has evolved and can serve as a cringe-worthy elicitation of marginalization for those branded by the label.
So in our journey towards social awakening, we replaced the term “minority” with “underrepresented,” as a way to more subtly highlight “otherness.” In the Harvard Business Review, N.Chole Nwangwu argued that the term “underrepresented” suggests that the “solution to inequity is for leaders to place marginalized social groups into very visible positions while simultaneously failing to give them the tools needed to overcome individual and systemic biases.” Instead, Nwangwu writes that the behavior contributing to underrepresentation is the lack of recognition, or a term she calls “underrecognized.” that must be addressed by majority groups being intentional with leveling the playing field.
For too long, the cybersecurity industry has failed to recognize that the next generation of geniuses may not be forged from the same fire as existing practitioners. If we are honest with ourselves, we realize that some of the best level-one tech support comes from our young people, not the 20-year IT practitioner. Our industry has a unique opportunity to recognize that diverse perspectives representative of our global community has become critical in our journey to a more digitally-forward and securely accessible society.
But, how do we attract and even retain the diverse pool of women and minorities needed to make this shift? Here are some ways we can make a difference:
Continue reading: https://www.scmagazine.com/perspective/how-we-can-bring-diversity-into-the-cybersecurity-industry