Blog iconSecurity: The Good, the Bad, and the Alternative [DarkMatters]

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Security: The Good, the Bad, and the Alternative [DarkMatters]

from Norse Security Dark Matters


I began this third blog post by begging the question, “are women underrepresented and smacked down in the Infosec community?”

With an industry that is dominated by men — I blatantly stated that I had heard both sides of the coin. From problems with the good old boys club, sexual harassment at security conferences, and surviving the workplace in a woman-poor environment to my workplace is awesome and I could not have made it this far without male mentors.

I wanted to know if women needed to “fight to be heard,” or did they feel that infosec was just like any other profession — where they could work their way to the top regardless of gender. I asked all the wrong questions… During my brief meandering into the realm of sexism in Infosec: I was sometimes smacked down for lack of clarification, and at the same time enlightened with alternative dialogues.

Jennifer (Jabbusch) Minella, a network security engineer and consultant with Carolina Advanced Digital, Inc. had this to say at her Security Uncorked blog:

Here’s where I come from; I grew up in this industry, but before I got here, I was a kid who loved science and math, and I had parents that nurtured that passion. My Dad taught me binary when I was but a wee lass. He taught me calculus early, because I demanded to know what the “sin” and “cos” buttons on the calculator meant. Being the math genius that he is, he used the opportunity to launch a full-scaled course, books and all. Maybe I’m privileged; maybe I had advantages that others didn’t; maybe I was set up for success early; maybe I’m naïve; you’re entitled to any of those opinions, and I wouldn’t argue it. But while school sets you up for many of life’s lessons, navigating the tribulations of 8th grade isn’t the same as managing a successful career, in any industry. And, while there’s a component of reaching girls early in life, we should look at our current situation closely first.

For now, I think we need to encourage women to seek help and support from ALL people – men and women. And we should all understand that during changes, there are times when things aren’t fair, when things are frustrating, and a little messy. Stay classy, stay calm and cool, handle it like a lady, and we’ll all come out winners in the end. Life’s not fair, but you can work with the system, instead of against it for better results.

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