ISACA Aims to Recruit More Women into Careers in Cybersecurity

Hardly a day goes by without a new development in the ongoing battle to protect data, commerce, personal identity and everything else viewed by the pirates of the information age as vulnerable digital booty ripe to be plundered. Yet the fight against cybercrime is underutilizing one of its most important resources: roughly half the global population. As in most IT realms, there are relatively few women who pursue careers in cybersecurity.

Security and governance group ISACA, one of the longest-tenured professional organizations in the IT realm, wants that to change. In a press release issued Thursday, ISACA announced a June 4 webinar with the theme "Conscious Leadership" that will focus on women executives in IT. ISACA is also using its global clout (more than 140,000 members in 180 countries) to launch a new annual conference that will encourage idea sharing and cybersecurity solidarity among businesses and governments. And in keeping with the spirit of engaging women in IT, the inaugural event will feature a special track devoted exclusively to women.

The webinar, at 11 a.m. (Central time) on Thursday, will feature special guest Linda Dolceamore, an career guidance specialist who coaches top level businesses leaders for the Leadership Journey arm of the Executive Women's Forum. Dolceamore's remarks will be aimed at helping women develop the self-confidence and personal drive to succeed in business leadership roles.

ISACA has an even more concerted effort to engage women in store for the first-ever CSX 2015 North America Conference, to be held in Washington, D.C., Oct. 19-21. CSX 2015 will feature a special Women in Security track designed to both encourage and empower women interested in pursuing a career in cybersecurity. Among the featured presenters at CSX 2015 is keynote speaker Tyler Cohen Wood, Senior Officer and Cyber Branch Chief for the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency.

Wood, who has filled government assignments at the White House, Department of Defense and NASA in addition to working in the business sector, will discuss recent highly public security breaches. Her address hsd been titled "Best Offense is a Great Defense: Data, Privacy & Avoiding Attacks that can Derail Your Business (or Your Life)."

Other featured women presenters at CSX 2015 include keynote speakers Alexa Clay and Kyra Maya Phillips, authors of the soon-to-be-published book The Misfit Economy: Lessons in Creativity from Pirates, Hackers, Gangsters and Other Informal Entrepreneurs. The book tells the stories of fringe innovators who carve out their own nice in the global economy by whatever means available.

Registration for CSX 2015 is open to industry professionals and organized to help attendees find the events that suit their level of exposure to cybersecurity. You can attend as a Cyber-New-to-the-Profession, a Cyber Mid-Manager, or Cyber Expert. All events will be held at the Marriott Wardman Park in Washington, D.C.