What Industry Leaders Can Do to Support Women in Security

Security and cybersecurity have become more welcoming to women, but acceptance alone is not enough. Female leaders report that women still face a long journey toward support and empowerment. Melissa Mack describes rising into leadership in a traditionally male-dominated field and says she was often the only woman in the room for much of her career. She learned to work and adapt in that environment. The question remains why women are expected to adapt rather than the industry changing. The answer is yes, with actionable steps needed to support women seeking leadership roles in security.

"Melissa Mack, Director on the Professional Certification Board for ASIS and Managing Director at Pinkerton, about her experiences in rising to a leadership position in a traditionally male-dominated field. Mack expressed that for a majority of her career, she "was often the only woman in the room." "I learned very quickly how to work and adapt in a male-dominated environment," Mack states."

"But why is the expectation that women must the ones to adapt? Thinking back to the earlier question - can the industry do more for women in security - I think the answer is "yes." To learn how security leaders and organizations like can take actionable steps to support women seeking leadership roles in the industry, listen to our conversation below:"

"While many shared that security and cybersecurity spaces have become more welcoming to women, they also acknowledged that there is still a long journey ahead for not just acceptance, but support and empowerment."

Read at Securitymagazine