The Infosec Industry Comes Together to Recognize Innovators and Leaders at the First-Ever Cybersecurity Women of the Year Awards

PRESS RELEASE

ROSEVILLE, CA - An Influencer, a Hacker, a top legal mind, and a “Barrier Breaker” will be some of the first recipients of the Cybersecurity Women of the Year Awards (CSWY Awards). The inaugural awards gala will be held in Las Vegas on August 5 - the week of the Black Hat, DEFCON, and B-Sides Las Vegas conferences - at the Lotus Room in the Luxor Hotel.

 See the full list of nominees and details on their work here.

The Las Vegas conferences bring tens of thousands of industry analysts, hackers, designers, venture capitalists, and executives together to discuss risks and threats facing enterprises and society in general. Organizers of the CSWY Awards say they want to “lighten the mood a bit”, bringing together conference participants for a celebration recognizing women in the security space during breakthrough work and transforming the industry.

“It is very rare to talk about the achievements and milestones in cybersecurity. We have a community of wonderful people doing terrific work, but the only time anyone notices them is when something goes wrong,” said Carmen Marsh, the organizer of the Cybersecurity Women of the Year Awards and CEO of the cyber-risk management company, Inteligenca. “We need to showcase our leaders and how they actually protect businesses and consumers from disasters every day. Those security experts who work in the darkest corners of the digital world deserve their day in the sun.”

Marsh is also the creator of 100 Women in 100 Days cybersecurity career development program. With support from Craigslist founder Craig Newmark, Marsh, and her team has developed a free course that provides 100 women with cybersecurity training and accreditation, as well as contacts with leading companies in the industry. The first class starts on July 15th in Sacramento. She sees the CSWY Gala as another step towards attracting women to a career in cybersecurity.

“We think celebrating the accomplishments and achievements in our industry will attract more talent into our field,” Marsh said. “Seeing that there are already women making a difference will resonate with others, who maybe have considered a change, but been scared off for one reason or another. We need to send a powerful, clear message that women are not only welcome but invited to make distinct and meaningful contributions to the security industry.”

Helping Marsh put together the event are some of the cybersecurity industry’s largest companies and associations: Microsoft, Intel, Adobe, McAfee, Information Security Systems Association (ISSA), Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), and Zeektek.

The CSWY gala would not be possible without the generous support from several sponsors. These organizations are all committed, not just to the gala, but supporting the advancement of women in the security industry every day of the year.

“Women make only a small percentage of the population in the technology industry,” said Ann Johnson, Corporate Vice President, Cybersecurity Solutions Group, Microsoft Corp. “It’s important we recognize the incredible work women are doing that is making an impact in cybersecurity and the industry at large.”

“With over 300k unfilled cybersecurity positions in the United States alone, in an industry where success is still fleeting, attracting and retaining diverse talent offers hope.  Research demonstrates that diverse teams create better and more creative solutions than non-diverse teams – exactly what’s needed in cybersecurity.  One element in attracting the next generation of diverse talent and retaining and promoting the great work from those who deliver today is highlighting the amazing achievements of women in cybersecurity.” Intel’s Jim Gordon, GM of Security Ecosystem Strategy & Development. 

“We would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Cybersecurity Woman of The Year program organizers and congratulations to all of the nominees and recipients of the 2019 awards.  There is nothing more important in our industry than having the highest quality workforce to meet the challenges of the future and growing the community of dynamic professional women is an enormous contribution to that goal.” – Jim Reavis, CEO, Cloud Security Alliance

Candy Alexander, President of ISSA International: “ISSA, which was founded by two women in the mid-1980’s, has always been a strong advocate for women in security!  We are excited to support this effort and to honor those women who have risen to great heights.”

“In the Technical Staffing industry, we see great voids in 2 areas: women in technology, and available resources to meet the demands of Cybersecurity. Placing women in cybersecurity is a ‘homerun’ and strikes such a positive chord in all organizations. On a very personal note, you are all wonderful role models to young woman and girls; nothing about my career has got the attention of my teenage daughters like ‘Cybersecurity Woman of the Year!’”  said John Stuart, the CEO of Zeektek.

At KFA we know all too well, that cybersecurity continues to be a growing and increasingly demanding field. We also know that women only make up approximately 20% of the cybersecurity workforce. The CyberSecurity Woman of the Year Awards offers some of these women due recognition and encouragement for not only having embraced the cybersecurity industry but for being trailblazers who actively contribute valuable new perspectives and leadership. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences these women bring can only serve to widen the cybersecurity knowledge base in defending our data and networks. KFA salutes and supports these cybersecurity influencers.- Leslie Gazeley, Managing Director at KFA.

Who: Outstanding women in the cybersecurity field and others who have supported creating new opportunities for women in cybersecurity.

What: The Cybersecurity Women of the Year Awards - the first-ever gala

Where: Lotus Room at the Luxor Hotel

When: Monday, August 5 from 6:30 - 11 pm. The ceremony starts at 7:15

Sponsors: Microsoft, Intel, Adobe, McAfee, Information Security Systems Association (ISSA), Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), Zeektek and KFA

Media Contact:

Carmen Marsh, [email protected] or 916 517 0752