Cheryl McGrath, VP and Canadian General Manager for Optiv, spoke with journalist Pragya Sehgal about the opportunities for women in cybersecurity.
She touched on a few points outlined below:
Taking the Stairs
McGrath stated that there is 'no elevator to success', and people have to take the stairs. She wants people to encourage girls and young women to learn about technology for an early age and get them interested in cybersecurity to get them on those initial stair steps.
Removing Barriers
Women face many barriers and in a male-dominated industry like cybersecurity, removing those barriers are important. McGrath said people should have role models and mentors in the field. People of the same gender or background who you aspire to be like. She encouraged both men and women to spend time with young people in security-related activities, like coding classes and hackathons.
A Corporate Focus
McGrath encouraged a focus on corporate culture and initiatives like 'women's networks or clubs' that have positive impacts, ensures diversity and inclusivity in the company. She was pleased to report that 25 per cent of Optiv’s team members are now women and in Canada, up to 40 per cent of leadership team members are women – numbers that reflect what she described as a corporate focus. The focus is shifting to hiring and retaining women talent.
Companies should create that environment where women have the tools and support to succeed in their jobs.
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Cloud-based access management is cost effective over the long term.
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Cloud is just as secure as physical servers nowadays. It offers the same features, functionality, with easier and faster support and usage.
The cloud allows security companies to onboard vendors faster and easier, while giving good products and experiences.
1. Back up your data regularly
2. Update your copies over different time periods
3. Use cloud storage
4. Contact software-as-a-service (SaaS) vendors