{"id":13877,"date":"2021-03-23T09:51:25","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T14:51:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/?p=13877"},"modified":"2021-04-14T09:03:22","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T14:03:22","slug":"powerful-women-in-cyber","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.maryville.edu\/mpress\/powerful-women-in-cyber\/","title":{"rendered":"Powerful Women in Cyber"},"content":{"rendered":"

The world of cybersecurity can be a lonely place for women, who are outnumbered four to one by men. But events such as a recent panel<\/a> help strengthen a growing community dedicated to supporting and empowering women in the field.<\/p>\n

91制片厂 hosted the \u201cPowerful Women in Cyber” panel which drew 72 attendees from across the U.S. and beyond. The panel, in partnership with Venture Caf\u00e9 St. Louis and supported by PNC, was an outreach event of Maryville\u2019s student organization, Women in Cyber Security (WiCyS).<\/p>\n

According to a Cybersecurity Workforce Report<\/a>, women make up 24% of those working in the field, up from 11% in 2017. But the profession can still be an uncomfortable and even hostile place for women, many of whom earn less than their male counterparts.<\/p>\n

Maryville senior Andrea Rodriguez, who studies Cyber\/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism and is president of the Maryville’s WiCyS chapter, organized the event. For Rodriguez, being female and a person of color in majority white, male classrooms has sometimes felt isolating. But she didn\u2019t let her discouragement take over.<\/p>\n

\u201cCybersecurity is something I enjoy,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cWhy let anyone stop me from following my dream?\u201d<\/p>\n

Cybersecurity is an exciting and rapidly developing field, said \u201cPowerful Women\u201d panelist Alma Maria Rinasz, a software developer advocate in Austin. \u201cI learn something new every day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

But it hasn\u2019t always been easy to be a minority, according to Rinasz. One of four panelists, she stressed the importance of forming and nurturing relationships with other women in the workplace. Using the term \u201cwork wives,\u201d Rinasz said these connections can help women stop second-guessing themselves. \u201cStick to your guns,\u201d Rinasz advised, urging attendees to speak up and be specific when they see or experience racism and sexism in the workplace.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou need to raise the flag,\u201d Rinasz said. \u201c[Say that] this happened in this situation with this person and it\u2019s problematic because of A, B and C.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panelist Sarah Baldeo, CEO of a cybersecurity advisory group in Toronto, agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you ignore racism and sexism then you\u2019re just enabling it as something that\u2019s appropriate,\u201d Baldeo said. \u201cMany people may not even realize the behaviors they\u2019re engaging in.\u201d<\/p>\n

And if no one\u2019s paying attention? \u201cI say to them, \u2018Be a Kamala Harris,\u2019\u201d Baldeo said. \u201cAnd when someone interrupts you, say, \u2018Excuse me, I\u2019m speaking.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodriguez was delighted with the turnout for the event and hopes Maryville will hold similar gatherings in the future. Rodriguez\u2019s own future plans include pursuing graduate studies in cybersecurity and eventually working in a hospital setting and possibly developing apps.<\/p>\n

During her time at Maryville, Rodriguez has gained mentors and confidence through the WiCyS group, a national organization whose only Missouri chapter is at Maryville. She notes that male allies on campus have also been part of her supportive community.<\/p>\n

Rodriguez heard from several former professors immediately after the \u201cPowerful Women in Cyber\u201d panel, who congratulated her not only on the event but also her own journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of them said they\u2019ve seen me struggle,\u201d Rodriguez said. \u201cAnd now they see how I\u2019m helping other people who may be struggling.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mark Your Calendar!<\/strong>
\nAdditional “Powerful Women in Cyber” events include:<\/p>\n