On March 8, we celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) – a tradition over 100 years old highlighting the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women globally. The theme for IWD 2022 is #BreaktheBias, challenging us all to imagine a world free of bias, stereotypes, and discrimination - a world that is inclusive, diverse, and equitable.
According to the (ISC)² Cybersecurity Workforce Study, the number of women in cybersecurity roles in 2017 was a mere 11%. In 2021, that number rose to 24% showing a significant shift in the industry. While men still outnumber women 3 to 1 in cybersecurity roles, more millennial women (45%) are entering the industry compared to men (33%).
Additionally, positive trends show 52% of women working in cybersecurity possess post-graduate degrees and are also breaking barriers and achieving senior level promotions, such as CTOs and VP IT, more than ever before.
Collectively, each one of us can think about our own biases and how these shape our thoughts or show up, potentially blocking us from seeing the potential in others and ourselves. In the words of the great Maya Angelou, “When we know better, we can do better.”
At eSentire, we are extremely passionate about playing a key role in attracting women to the cybersecurity industry and supporting our female employees to reach new levels of potential. Today, our workforce is comprised of 30% women and 23% hold leadership positions. We will continue to hire, develop, promote, and celebrate the accomplishments of our highly qualified female team members.
Breaking the Bias: Megan Eckhardt’s Story
In April 2017, Megan Eckhardt was leading the Customer Experience organization in a Director capacity. When Kerry Bailey, our Chief Executive Officer, recognized her with a VP-level promotion, Megan “surprised him” with a pregnancy announcement.
Instead of putting the promotion on hold, Team eSentire rallied with support and put a succession plan in place while Megan was out on maternity leave. Today, Megan is the Senior Vice President, Go-To-Market Operations and Enablement at eSentire.
“Just knowing that there were no opportunities off the table because of my personal decision and my decisions for my family was something that you don't see often today,” Megan Eckhardt, Senior Vice President of Go-To-Market Operations and Enablement, says.
Grow Your Cybersecurity Career with eSentire
Team eSentire is committed to hiring and promoting highly qualified women as well as sponsoring academic bursaries to encourage more female presence in STEM through the Masters of Cybersecurity and Threat Intelligence Program at the University of Guelph.
We are doing our part to break biases, and smash the antiquated glass ceilings, in the cybersecurity industry.
How are you breaking biases?
If you’re looking for a challenging role with a company that will foster your talent and passion in cybersecurity, join our team! Explore our open roles at eSentire Careers and apply for the role that best fits your skills.
To learn how eSentire can help you find exposures and defend your organization, connect with an eSentire Security Specialist now.
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eSentire
eSentire is a leader in Controlled Autonomy SecOps, protecting 2,000+ organizations across 35+ industries around the world. Founded in 2001, the company’s Controlled Autonomy SecOps operating model pairs agentic AI operatives with engineered human-judgment controls, delivering expert-depth security outcomes at machine speed without ceding accountability to opaque automation. Powered by the unified agentic AI Atlas Platform, eSentire’s Atlas AI + 24/7 expert human SOC coverage delivers offensive capabilities that preempt exposures before attackers do, detect, and respond to stop threats in real time. For more information, visit esentire.com and follow @eSentire.