A woman in the cyber industry: why is one of the most interesting and successful fields in high-tech almost entirely male? (Photo: ShutterStock)
If in the past the cyber field was reserved for men, thanks to the combination of work in the field, often in the virtual territories of hostile countries, and diligence on technological means to which the male sex is more attracted (at least this is the conception), in recent years a new trend is emerging.
Some define this trend as "positive", after the concept became stronger that women can choose to do what they want and moreover, excel in any field where only men excelled before.
"One of the causes of this change in my opinion, at least in Israel, is the integration of women in technological and intelligence units in the IDF," explains
Mein Cohen Haziz, Director of Sight Israel and Vice President of Global Human Resources at CyberProof
.
"The early entry into fields such as information security, technology and intelligence at ages that precede personal decisions about a professional future,
What are the consequences?
"Today, women can be found in key positions in the cyber market as well as in other industries. However, the reason that there is still a male majority in these positions lies, in my opinion, in entrenched social perceptions of "classic" gender roles. For example, my experience in the worlds of recruitment proves that in the first place we will receive fewer applications and resumes from women" .
Why is this so?
"It is possible that this is because our society paves the way for women for positions with "soft" skills, in which of course there is nothing wrong, but it is also important to promote the social understanding that women are able to be accepted for and excel in technological positions and those that require "hard" skills. It is interesting to note in this context that studies in recent years showed that women tend to undervalue their work performance, while men overestimate their own performance.
What can be done to change the situation?
"We as a society need to act to change the perception of society as a whole and of women in particular regarding their ability and ability to integrate in technological fields - there is no reason for women to be less successful in them, we simply need to open the door and the thinking to them."
Mein Cohen Haziz, Director of Sight Israel and Vice President of Global Human Resources at CyberProof (Photo: Public Relations)
in a pleasant way
Cohen Haziz, 44, married and mother of three children, has a bachelor's degree in management and communication and a master's degree in MBA with a specialization in human resource management and consulting.
She grew up in the world of human resources from her position as a liaison officer in the army, and before joining CyberProof she worked for 22 years in technology companies and global startups in human resources roles and as a business partner to management in driving strategic human resources.
In her opinion, there are no features that characterize a certain gender.
"However, in our society, women tend to cultivate more qualities such as emotional intelligence and a higher capacity for empathy and inclusion, and I feel that the entry of such qualities more firmly into the worlds of business and technology is a welcome and necessary thing. The dignity of assertiveness and self-confidence is in its place, but sometimes the right approach to a solution Problems and challenges is precisely one that comes from a genuine desire to listen to the other side and to bridge gaps in a pleasant way."
Jessica Amado, director of cyber research at the cyber company sepio systems
, which enables real-time detection and monitoring of hardware-based cyber attacks on external devices, thinks that working hours are a game changer when it comes to male-female roles in the cyber field.
"In general, women are more likely to stay at home with the family or at least spend more hours at home. I do think that this stereotype is slowly starting to change. There are families where the responsibilities of the family are divided equally or the father spends more time at home. And with the growing trend of hybrid work, I hope it becomes less of an "either/or" scenario for women when it comes to family life or seniority in the workplace."
Is it important to balance the gender situation in your field?
"Definitely yes because women and men bring different perspectives and approaches to the workplace. It's better for the company in terms of innovation and better for the employees, especially for the female employees who may feel more comfortable, empowered and inspired in a company where there are women in senior positions. For example, women relate to the customer base - the women and employees In ways that men don't. Despite their best efforts, men can't understand and relate to women the way a woman can - and that can significantly help the organization."
Are organizations where women are included in senior positions more successful?
"According to research, yes. It starts from a younger age. Girls tend to do better than boys in school, so women come with stronger academic credentials and higher levels of educational attainment - while not necessarily critical to success, it certainly helps to have well-educated people in positions Seniors".
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Jessica Amado, director of cyber research at the cyber company sepio systems (photo: sepio)
military background
Judit Moldavsky, 27 years old, manager of IT and Security Operations at the Rapid company
, is one of the few women working in the field.
Before her current position, Moldavsky managed an information systems support team at Indigo for 3 and a half years, and at another startup.
In the army, she served in the ICT Corps as a computer team leader.
Rapid started working about two years ago in the position of managing an IT team, and due to the rapid growth of the company, opportunities opened up for her to develop in the field of information security and she decided to take on additional responsibilities.
"That's how I got to my current position where I manage the information security field, managing a total of 20 people, who are divided into four teams, which I lead."
what do you do in your daily life
"As part of my role, I am responsible for three main areas. The first is the IT area, which includes service and infrastructure. Each of the areas has a separate team. The second area is Security operations, which includes responsibility for all intra-organizational information security issues, security of endpoints , users and accounts, as well as ongoing handling of incidents. The third area is the GRC area, which includes compliance with standards and risk management and the area of physical security in all the company's branches."
What is the reason why fewer women hold senior positions in cyber?
"I think that cyber is a field that can deter both men and women. It is a field in which most of the practitioners come from technological units in the army, so those who are involved in it will usually come from a specific military background. Most of the practitioners in the field, even in the army, are men, so the chances are that they will work in private and hi-tech companies outside For the army, high.
Furthermore, only recently has there been exposure to the field in academia.
As far as I know, there is still no structured path in academic degrees to develop a career in the field.
Therefore, it can be said that this is a less accessible field, so I would say that the reason is mainly a lack of awareness and knowledge.
I believe that there is no queue of women who try to be accepted for senior positions in the cyber fields and receive refusals.
The reason is that they don't try.
As soon as they try, they will succeed.
The cyber field is thirsty for talented people, there are a lot of open jobs.
It's a field that is growing very fast and at the same time has not yet been flooded with candidates, the opportunities are endless, you just need to know how to seize them."
What advice can you give to someone who wants to be accepted for a technical position?
"Learn as much as possible, be interested, be professional and stay updated.
The technologies renew and change all the time, make sure you can "keep up".
Above all, don't be afraid of the field, if a woman can be a surgeon she can also be a cyber expert, I promise it's not more complicated"
And for those who want to join senior management positions?
"It is important to understand that in the field of information security, the qualities required of managers are sometimes very difficult to measure, that is, in-depth technical knowledge of a certain subject will not make you better. This field is huge
and contains many avenues, so my tip would be to work on your ability to bring added value to the company and the department in which you are in, don't focus on what you don't know and don't know, but focus on developing managerial abilities such as decision-making, prioritization, as in any other senior management position. And again, don't be afraid of the words "information security" and as in everything - believe in yourself and surround yourself with strong people from the field ".
Judit Moldavsky, 27 years old, manager of IT and Security Operations at Rapid (Photo: Public Relations)
Starts with education
Some would say that it is the overwhelmingly gendered schooling of boys in mathematics and girls in literature that assimilates the differences that manifest in these worlds at older ages.
"The lack of female presence begins at a young age, when girls are oriented towards the humanitarian fields and less towards realistic professions in school. As a result, fewer women end up in technological units in the army and in advanced studies, and the male clique is created out of necessity" agrees Reot Weizman, director of cyber services at
Sygnia
.
"What's more, the pool of talent is small to begin with, and as you progress the career in the field becomes more demanding, requiring availability even at unusual hours and continuous learning. The lack of female role models in senior positions, combined with the image of cyber as a male-competitive field, may discourage young women who are considering integrating into the industry, and prevents how to imagine themselves succeeding in a career in this demanding industry. At the same time, it is a very fascinating and rewarding career, which allows one to contribute directly to the safety of others."
Weizman, 43 years old, lives in Givatayim, mother of two, has a bachelor's degree in geophysics and archeology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA in strategic consulting from Reichman University.
She is certified CISO and CIO from the Technion, part of the tech industry for the last 23 years, 15 years in cyber.
She is also aware of the importance of gender diversity in the field.
"Cyber security is a critical issue that affects individuals, organizations and even countries. Lack of diversity in the field may lead to blind spots and biases in risk assessment and decision-making, which may increase cyber risks. A balanced gender ratio can bring to the table a variety of perspectives, experiences and ideas, and lead to finding More innovative and effective solutions to cyber security challenges. In addition, there is a lack of knowledge and skill in the industry. The more we are able to put women in senior positions in the organization and use mentors who will support and be role models, we will create confidence among female employees who wish to advance and we will be able to attract and retain more women in the cyber field, and even expand the pool of skilled employees "
What does a woman bring to a field that a man cannot?
"It is not accurate or fair to say that women bring something to the cyber industry that men cannot. Both men and women can contribute unique perspectives, creativity, experiences and skills to the field of cyber security, and a diverse workforce can help address the complex challenges facing the industry. I work with the people The senior executives in the largest companies in the world in preparing for or dealing with a cyber crisis, we have dozens of experts including women in technological positions such as information security architects, cyber attackers and researchers and project managers who lead teams of experts from all departments. In the end, occupational diversity has added value for our employees as well, But also to our customers.
The fact that we arrive with a different mindset, a different view and a different vision, produces mutual fertilization and enables creativity and advanced thinking.
In the end, we all work with a common goal - to help an organization in need, and it is gratifying to see the cooperation and creativity of the teams involved." Are you afraid of a situation in which the
definition of "classic" female occupations will continue to affect the fact that there will be fewer women in cyber?
"I would be happy to see more women in key positions Both in the public sector and in the private sector that will be a role model for young women, and I believe that the responsibility for changing reality requires the workplaces and the decision makers, including women in significant positions, since you cannot be what you cannot see.
At the same time, I believe and hope that this does not indicate the status of women in general.
There is now recognition among the majority of the population of the importance of integrating women into industry, and of their great contribution to society and the economy."
Reot Weizman, director of cyber services at Sygnia (photo: Guy Lahav)
Weizman, 43 years old, lives in Givatayim, mother of two, has a bachelor's degree in geophysics and archeology from Tel Aviv University and an MBA in strategic consulting from Reichman University.
She is certified CISO and CIO from the Technion, part of the tech industry for the last 23 years, 15 years in cyber.
She is also aware of the importance of gender diversity in the field.
"Cyber security is a critical issue that affects individuals, organizations and even countries. Lack of diversity in the field may lead to blind spots and biases in risk assessment and decision-making, which may increase cyber risks. A balanced gender ratio can bring to the table a variety of perspectives, experiences and ideas, and lead to finding More innovative and effective solutions to cyber security challenges.
In addition, there is a lack of knowledge and skill in the industry.
The more we are able to put women in senior positions in the organization and use mentors who will support and be role models, we will create confidence among female employees who wish to advance and we will be able to attract and retain more women in the cyber field, and even expand the pool of skilled workers." What does a woman bring to a field that a man cannot bring to it? "This is
not
accurate Or is it fair to say that women bring something to the cyber industry that men cannot.
Both men and women can contribute unique perspectives, creativity, experiences and skills to the cybersecurity field, and a diverse workforce can help address the complex challenges facing the industry.
I work with the senior people in the largest companies in the world in preparing for or dealing with a cyber crisis, we have dozens of experts including women in technological positions such as information security architects, cyber attackers and researchers and project managers who lead teams of experts from all departments.
In the end, occupational diversity has added value not only for our employees, but also for our customers.
The fact that we arrive with a different mindset, a different view and a different vision, produces mutual fertilization and enables creativity and progressive thinking.
In the end, we all work with a common goal - to help an organization in need, and it is gratifying to see the cooperation and creativity of the teams involved." Are you
afraid of a situation in which the definition of "classic" female occupations will continue to affect the fact that there will be fewer women in cyberspace?
"I would be happy to see more women in key positions in both the public and private sectors who would be role models for young women, and I believe that the responsibility for changing reality requires workplaces and decision-makers, including women in significant positions, since you cannot be what you cannot see.
Together However, I believe and hope that this does not indicate the status of women in general. There is now recognition among the majority of the population of the importance of integrating women into the industry, and of their great contribution to society and the economy."
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Tags
Cyber
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