Creating Connections: Agents of change.

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Last month, I shared the quote:

“There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish.” – Michelle Obama

I wanted to take a moment to thank all of you women in cybersecurity for the contributions you make to our industry, be they research, threat monitoring, pen testing, the list, of course, could go on and on. Without the women of cybersecurity, the industry would surely not be as far along as it is. Women have long been breaking ground in computing and security. I'd like to pause and revisit a post I made a few years ago honoring some of those women. We can appreciate the groundbreaking chances taken by women like Ada Lovelace, Marsha Rhea Williams, Rear Admiral Grace Hopper, Dorothy Denning, and Becky Bace, among others. You can learn more of their contributions here.

Who here is going to be at the RSA Conference next month? N2K Networks, the CyberWire's parent company, will be there with our learning team in the expo hall and our media team all over. We will be conducting interviews, doing some person on the street spots with our producer, Liz Irvin, and just out and about. You can check our social media to see where Liz will be each day and maybe you can participate in her question of the day and hear yourself on our CyberWire Daily podcast. If any of you would like to grab a coffee, let me know. I am going this IRL. I haven't been since the pandemic began in 2020. I'd love to connect!

We’d love to hear from you. We'd love to see you at the RSA conference. Let us know if you are going by tweeting us at @thecyberwire and use the hashtag #womenincyber.

Thoughts on International Women's Day 2023.

By Jennifer Eiben, Senior Producer, CyberWire

With March being Women's History Month, and March 8th the observance of International Women's Day, we assembled some thoughts and quotes from women in our industry to share. Women make up about 24% of the cybersecurity workforce. While the disparity between the number men and women in our industry is shrinking in quantity, it is not in terms of equity.

The theme of 2023's International Women's Day is #EmbraceEquity – "For International Women's Day and beyond, let's all fully #EmbraceEquity. Equity isn't just a nice-to-have, it's a must-have. A focus on gender equity needs to be part of every society's DNA. And it's critical to understand the difference between equity and equality. The aim of the IWD 2023 #EmbraceEquity campaign theme is to get the world talking about Why equal opportunities aren't enough. People start from different places, so true inclusion and belonging require equitable action." You can read more about Equality versus Equity here. Read the full article with quotes we collected from women around the industry.

Hewlett Foundation announces major effort funding cyber policy studies at institutions serving diverse student populations.

Contact Heath Wickline, Deputy Director of Communications, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation

The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced large-scale grants totaling more than $20 million to four academic institutions that historically serve diverse student populations to support the launch and expansion of interdisciplinary cyber policy programs.

The grants, which reflect the foundation’s commitment to increasing equity and diversity within the cyber field, will support new cyber policy programs at Tallahassee’s Florida A&M University and Spelman College in Atlanta, two historically Black institutions; Florida International University in Miami, a Hispanic-serving institution, and Turtle Mountain Community College, a tribal college in Belcourt, North Dakota. 

Comments from a grantee: “The Computer and Information Sciences and Political Science departments at Spelman College provide a competitive academic environment where scholars who are dedicated to changing the world through community and innovation explore opportunities in computing, applied science, policy, and research. This grant will enable Spelman to expand its traditional computer science and political science degree program offerings to include an interdisciplinary program in cybersecurity policy that explores and creates an understanding of cyber technology, its impact on society, the challenges of securing such systems, and how evolving technologies shape policies, as well as the impact of policy on cyber,” said Dr. Raquel Hill, professor and chair of the computer and information sciences department at Spelman, “This initiative will provide a foundation in cyber policy for all undergraduates, regardless of major, and will prepare them to pursue advanced degrees in cyber policy at select partner institutions.”  Read the full release.

Secured by Women: Why we’re celebrating brilliant women in cybersecurity.

By Meagen Eisenberg, Chief Marketing Officer, Lacework

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. Read more from Meagen.

Try new things and believe in yourself.

By Kelsey Bernius, Senior Manager, Content, Devo

Devo recently hosted a live panel discussion with cyber leaders across industries to celebrate Women’s History month. The group acknowledged progress made, addressed remaining challenges, and shared resources for advancing or breaking into the cybersecurity industry. Read Kelsey's take on the panel and catch the webcast.

Women are agents of change.

By N2K Cyber/CyberWire staff

Gina Johnson, Senior Sales and Ad Operations Specialist

“Learn to understand and help others understand. Be curious! And don’t let anyone try to stop you from achieving your goals and being a change agent in cybersecurity.” – Renee Guttmann

As we wrap up Women’s History Month, I try to take a few moments to reflect on just how far we have come. We have spent countless hours, days, months, and years fighting for equity and recognition for our accomplishments in every industry. Women have been making their mark in the sciences and security for centuries, and every one of them deserve recognition for their hard work, dedication to their craft, and invaluable contributions that they have all made to help us get where we are today. Over the last three years I have been with the CyberWire, I have learned so much about the women who have contributed their time, knowledge, and talents to cybersecurity. I have had the opportunity to meet some very inspiring women through the work I do here, through our Women in Cyber event, and through personal exploration and education. I continue to be in awe of these women and their accomplishments, and I look forward to seeing what the future brings for all of them (and us all). 

Catherine Murphy, Senior Sales Executive

"Technology is too important to be left to men alone." - Karen Spärck Jones

This quote is a powerful reminder of the need for diversity and inclusivity in the tech industry. Historically, technology has been dominated by men, leading to a lack of perspectives and experiences in the design and development of new innovations. This quote highlights the fact that the contributions of women and other marginalized groups are crucial to creating technology that is useful, accessible, and beneficial for everyone. It emphasizes the idea that women's perspectives and contributions are critical to the development and success of technology.This quote was particularly relevant to me as I felt it acknowledged the historical under-representation of women in the tech industry and the need for greater diversity and inclusivity. After graduating college, my first job was with IBM in their Global Services division. Not only was I the first woman college hire in our division, but my team was all men, initially creating an intimidating work environment. They embraced the importance of all employees skills, opinions, and contributions and empowered me and future women colleagues to excel in the workforce.Karen's quote serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of diversity and gender equity in the tech industry, and how women's contributions and perspectives are essential to the success and impact of technology on society.

Eliana White, Digital Media Marketing Manager

“The only limit to the height of your achievements is the reach of your dreams and your willingness to work hard for them.” – Michelle Obama

Michelle Obama has been a role model and global advocate for not only women, but also poverty awareness, education, and proper nutrition. As the first African-American first lady of the United States, she inspires women of color to have trust and confidence in themselves despite opposition and criticism.

Save the date: 2023 Women in Cybersecurity reception.

The 2023 Women in Cybersecurity Event will be held place on Thursday, October 19th, 2023 at the International Spy Museum in Washington, DC. Women from the private sector, academia, and government at varying career levels are brought together to connect with one another, strengthen relationships, and build new ones. The Women in Cybersecurity event was founded in 2014 as an initiative to increase diversity in the cybersecurity workforce. This annual networking event that highlights and celebrates the value and successes of women in the cybersecurity industry. For a glimpse of the highlights from our 2022 event, check out our sizzle reel.

Join the CyberWire in our mission to inspire and encourage women to continue to meet the challenges of cybersecurity, and create the momentum necessary to bring more women into this critically important field. For sponsorship opportunities, please visit the sponsor page on our site. We will be opening our request for invitations soon. Stay tuned.

Special edition podcasts sharing war, cybersecurity policy and history.

Periodically, we hold interviews on topics that we think warrant their own episodes. We feel that sharing extended topical conversations with special guests are warranted. This month, we had three of those such discussions. We invite you to join us as we explore these areas in greater depth than we do on the CyberWire Daily. We discussed the Russian invasion of Ukraine at one year, the National Cybersecurity Strategy, and took a visit to the National Cryptologic Museum.

CyberWire commentary: Ukraine one year on.

CyberWire Daily podcast host Dave Bittner is joined by CyberWire editor John Petrik for an extended discussion about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and its effect on cybersecurity at the one year anniversary. John and his team have covered the Ukrainian conflict with daily news stories since the invasion began, and in fact, had quite a lot of coverage prior to the invasion. They take stock of where things stand, what has happened, and what we expected versus reality. Listen to the episode.

Two viewpoints on the National Cybersecurity Strategy.

Earlier this month, the White House released the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the first issued since 2018. The strategy refocuses roles, responsibilities, and resource allocations in the digital ecosystem, with a five pillar approach. Those pillars are: defending critical infrastructure, disrupting threat actors, shaping market forces to drive security and resilience, investing in a resilient future, and forging international partnerships.

We wanted to delve into the strategy and its intended effects further, so Dave Bittner spoke with representatives from industry and inside government. Dave first speaks with Adam Isles, Principal and Head of Cybersecurity Practice at The Chertoff Group, sharing industry's take on the strategy. Following that conversation, Dave had a discussion with Steve Kelly, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Cybersecurity and Emerging Technology at the National Security Council, for a look at the strategy from inside the White House. Listen to the discussion.

An introduction to the National Cryptologic Museum.

Rick Howard, N2K’s CSO and The CyberWire’s Chief Analyst and Senior Fellow, sits down with Director of the National Cryptologic Museum, Dr. Vince Houghton. The National Cryptologic Museum is the NSA's affiliated museum sharing the nation's best cryptologic secrets with the public. In this special episode, Rick interviews Dr. Houghton from within the walls of the National Cryptologic Museum, discussing the new and improved museum along with the new exhibits they uncovered during the pandemic. Listen in on the conversation.

CyberWire Daily

Ping Li from Signifyd shares a look at online fraud.

Ann Johnson from Afternoon Cyber Tea chats with EY principal Adam Malone.

Toni Buhrke from Mimecast with a look at the State of Email Security.

Linda Gray Martin and Britta Glade from RSAC with a preview of this year's conference.

Betsy Carmelite from Booz Allen Hamilton on the DoD's zero trust journey.

Ann Johnson from Afternoon Cyber Tea speaks with Jason Barnett from HCA Healthcare about cyber resilience.

Beth Robinson of Bishop Fox shares their 2023 Offensive Security Resolutions.

Eve Maler of ForgeRock discusses how digital identity can help create a more secure connected car experience.

Simone Petrella of N2K Networks discusses the recently-released Defense Cyber Workforce Framework.

Betsy Carmelite from Booz Allen Hamilton speaks about CISA's year ahead.

Kathleen Smith of ClearedJobs.Net talks about hiring veterans and setting them (and yourself) up for success.

Dinah Davis from Arctic Wolf on the top healthcare industry cyber attacks.

Carole Theriault has a lesson about ChatGPT and school systems.

Ann Johnson from Afternoon Cyber Tea speaks with Stacy Hughes from Voya Financial about her journey to being CISO.

Career Notes

Tanya Janca, CEO and Founder of We Hack Purple, sits down to talk about her exciting path into the field of cybersecurity. Trying several different paths in high school, she soon found she was good at computer science. When it came to picking a college, she knew that was the field she wanted to get into. After college, she was able to use her skills to work at a couple of different organizations, eventually getting into the Canadian government. While there, she held the position of CISO for the Canadian election in 2015 when Justin Trudeau was elected, but she knew she wanted to try something new. She switched from programming to security and after working at Microsoft as a presenter, she eventually found that she wanted to start her own company, saying "at first it was just me presenting, but now we have community members present to each other and it's just been really beautiful to see that grow." She hopes that with her and her community's help, nobody is left feeling unsafe when it comes to being online.

Kathleen Smith, CMO from ClearedJobs.Net, sits down to share her story as she remembers having big shoes to fill in her childhood. She strived for greatness at an early age, as her parents told her she would be going to college and would follow strong guidelines to become successful. Kathleen can remember being into the hard sciences when she was in school, which sparked an interest in becoming a biochemist and law student. Eventually she found her passion as a translator, saying that "doing the translator role, I wanted to get into international marketing and I was going on to get my degree on that." She found her way to ClearedJobs.Net and fell in love with it. She had sought to find a workplace that wouldn't burn her out, where she can also be a part of the team. Kathleen found what she was passionate about and made it a reality for herself, and now she just wants young women starting in the field to know the importance of finding something they are passionate about.

Bat El Azerad, CEO and Co-founder of mobile phishing protection company novoShield, shares her personal account of her experience as a female leader in the cybersecurity field as well as some insights into how far the industry has come and where it is headed in terms of the gender gap. Bat El speaks about how she grew into her role of becoming a CEO, by sharing where she started and how she got involved with novoShield. She shares that being a woman in this industry can be tough and so she shares some advice, saying "so you have to be very focused and to find the right niche to bring something to the table because the competition in this industry and the level of innovation, um, is, is great." Bat El hopes that throughout her time in the industry she hopes people remember her for her vision, and the mission she is helping to create and maintain at her company.

Gabriela Smith-Sherman, Director of the Governance Risk and Compliance Department at MindPoint Group, sits down to share her journey. A former federal agency CISO with over 15 years of experience in leading and implementing comprehensive enterprise cybersecurity programs and initiatives, she is also a disabled US combat veteran who understands the importance of mission and is dedicated to delivering high-quality results and value to customers through innovative solutions. Gabriela shares about her time in the military and how being part of the service was one of her best decisions, dedicating all her hard work to her time in the armed forces. She also explains how it was tough falling away from military routine, and the difficulties behind her transition to civilian, but notes that she thrives in the chaos of the IT world, saying "I think my military experience has prepared me, uh, to be in those kind of chaotic positions and be very calm about the approach."

Caveat

Ben Yelin speaks with Melanie Teplinsky, Senior Fellow at American University's Washington College of Law to discuss cybersecurity for innovative small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs).

CSO Perspectives

Rick Howard discusses The CIO/CISO relationship with guests Carrie Rasmussen and Colin Anderson.

Host Rick Howard discusses the evolution of a better security architecture: SASE and SSE with guests Dr. Rebecca Wynn and Etay Maor.

Cyber CEOs Decoded

In this final episode of Cyber CEOs Decoded's first season, Devo's CEO and host Marc van Zadelhoff revisits the best moments from his guests this season. Sit back and listen for some pearls of wisdom that Marc gathered in his conversations with his collection of stellar guests, including: Wendy Thomas of Secureworks and Amanda Renteria of Code for America.

Hacking Humans

Kathleen Smith, CMO from ClearedJobs.Net sits down with Dave to talk about how job seekers are susceptible to employment fraud.

CyberWire's UK Correspondent Carole Theriault talks with Iain Thomson from the Register about why he has no IoT in his house and what advice he offers for those who do. Joe's story features ten social engineering techniques.

Interview Selects

Beth Robinson from Bishop Fox is sharing their 2023 Offensive Security Resolutions.

Quarterly Analyst Call

Rick Howard, the CyberWire's CSO and Chief Analyst, Jenn Reed, Principal Partner Solution Architect at Amazon Web Services, and Etay Maor, Senior Director Security Strategy at Cato Networks, have an insightful discussion about the events of the last 90 days that will materially impact your career, the organizations you,re responsible for, and the daily lives of people all over the world.

Research Saturday

Bar Block, Threat Intelligence Researcher at Deep Instinct, joins Dave to discuss their work on "ChatGPT and Malware - Making Your Malicious Wishes Come True." Deep Instinct goes into depth on just how dangerous ChatGPT can be in the wrong hands as well as how artificial intelligence is better at creating malware than providing ways to detect it.

SpyCast

Dr. Alexis Albion joins Andrew Hammond to discuss amazing artifacts with amazing stories from SPY’s newest pop-up exhibit: “Secrets Revealed: Highlights from the Grant Verstandig Collection.”

Cathy Hackl joins Andrew Hammond to discuss the potential implications of the metaverse on intelligence. Cathy has been called the “Godmother of the Metaverse.

Uncovering Hidden Risks

Maithili Dandige, Partner Group Product Manager at Microsoft, joins Erica Toelle and guest host Shilpa Bothra on this week's episode of Uncovering Hidden Risks. Maithili's team is behind Microsoft Purview products such as Information Protection, Data Loss Prevention, Data Lifecycle Management, Records Management, eDiscovery, and Audit. Maithili discusses Data Loss Prevention, some recent DLP research, and what's upcoming in this space.

RSA Conference 2023 San Francisco | April 24 – 27 | Moscone Center

Every year, industry leaders and the global cybersecurity community meet at RSA Conference. On the agenda? Arming you with all the best practices and state-of-the-art solutions that will help keep your organization secure. Experience countless opportunities to make valuable connections that can open new doors and further your career.

Don’t miss the chance to be Stronger Together. Join RSAC 2023 for access to cybersecurity’s biggest innovations and cutting-edge ideas during four days of expert-led track sessions, inspiring Keynotes, skill-building experiences, and more. Learn more.