Fortinet Inc.
03/08/2021 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/07/2021 21:06
Diversifying the Cybersecurity Workforce this International Women’s Day
How Fortinet is Helping to Close the Gender Gap Within the Cybersecurity Workforce
Fortinet is putting concrete actions in place internally to help close the gender gap. This year, we are publishing our first Diversity and Inclusion Report, which sets the baseline of where we are now, and documents our commitments and the actions we have undertaken to build a more inclusive organization, industry, and global community.
We also are working to promote women in the cybersecurity industry through several programs:
- Through the Fortinet Security Academy, creating partnerships with the universities and colleges that specialize in diversity, like the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals, to help expand the cybersecurity workforce.
- Partnering with active associations like Women in Cybersecurity (WiCys) in the US and WOMCY in Latin America to promote the Fortinet NSE Certification Program among the members of those communities and organizations.
- Holding events and webinars to help promote women's careers in cybersecurity. These feature inspirational experts like Renée Tarun and Sandra Wheatley from Fortinet.
- Promoting gender diversity and improving the visibility of women in cybersecurity through our employee support communities and associations.
At last, in early 2020 we opened up our self-paced NSE (Network Security Expert) advanced security training courses for free, and recently announced that the courses will remain free beyond 2021 as it supports our commitment to developing a diverse cybersecurity workforce. Fortinet NSE Training Institute has delivered over 950,000+ free self-paced training courses to date and we are proud of the global reach and access we are able to offer through this program.
Changing Perceptions in the Cybersecurity Industry
Although programs and training are extremely important, to have a real long-term impact, resources and perceptions need to change. The digital divide and resulting lack of access to technical resources affect career options for women and contributes to their underrepresentation among potential job candidates.
Persistent gender stereotypes also continue to plague STEM fields, and cybersecurity is no exception. Because men have dominated the industry for such a long time, cybersecurity professionals have been typecast as a bunch of geeks furiously programming strings of code in dimly lit offices. In fact, the 2020 (ISC)2Cybersecurity Perception Study found that twice as many women as men find the profession intimidating.
Currently, there is no educational foundation to inspire interest or influence the public's understanding of what cybersecurity is or how cybersecurity professionals perform their tasks. However, if we can help make cybersecurity and the broader tech sector more attractive to women, they are more likely to pursue studies in the field. So, it's important we make young women and girls aware of the good reasons why they should join the cybersecurity industry:
- Contribution to society: we live in a digital world in which protecting data and individual privacy has become a key sustainability issue
- Personal interest: cybersecurity is in constant evolution, which makes this field very satisfying intellectually
- Opportunity: there are many open jobs to fill, which also makes this sector attractive financially as well as in terms of career evolution
Expanding the Cybersecurity Workforce With More Women
Improving team diversity benefits organizations, and the time to start hiring more women is now. Studies show that women bring both hard and soft skills in terms of leadership, analytical aptitude, and interpersonal communications. In fact, research shows more diverse teams perform better because they bring different viewpoints and ideas to the table, which improves problem solving. In fact, hiring a diverse workforce can even improve a company's financial performance.
On the flip side, women have to dare to take the leap into cybersecurity. At Fortinet, we are helping to convince them that cybersecurity cannot only be a good fit, but that they also can bring great value to it. Many educational paths exist that can help women either start a career or evolve their career toward cybersecurity. While the change starts with women, we, here at Fortinet, want to help. That's why we are working to put an end to gender stereotypes across all technology sectors, so our children can grow up in a fairer and more equitable society. So, let's take that first step by celebrating the rich diversity of skills and experiences that women bring to the workplace today and every day!
Find out more about Fortinet's NSE Training Institute programs, including the Certification Program, Security Academy Program and Veterans Program, which provide critical cybersecurity training and education to help solve the cyber skills gap and prepare the cybersecurity workforce of tomorrow.