• About
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
Wednesday, May 7, 2025
    Login
  • Management Leadership
    • Growth Strategies
    • Finance
    • Operations
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Careers
  • Technology
    • Infrastructure and Platforms
    • Business Applications and Databases
    • Big Data, Analytics and Intelligence
    • Security
  • Industry Verticals
    • Finance and Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Logistics and Transportation
    • Retail and Wholesale
    • Hospitality and Tourism
    • Government and Public Services
    • Utilities
    • Media and Telecommunications
  • Resources
    • Whitepapers
    • PodChats
    • Videos
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
  • Management Leadership
    • Growth Strategies
    • Finance
    • Operations
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Careers
  • Technology
    • Infrastructure and Platforms
    • Business Applications and Databases
    • Big Data, Analytics and Intelligence
    • Security
  • Industry Verticals
    • Finance and Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Logistics and Transportation
    • Retail and Wholesale
    • Hospitality and Tourism
    • Government and Public Services
    • Utilities
    • Media and Telecommunications
  • Resources
    • Whitepapers
    • PodChats
    • Videos
  • Events
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
Home Technology Security

PodChats for FutureCISO: Breaking the cybersecurity glass barrier

Allan Tan by Allan Tan
September 29, 2022
PodChats for FutureCISO: Breaking the Cybsecurity Glass Barrier

PodChats for FutureCISO: Breaking the Cybsecurity Glass Barrier

The InfoSec Institute estimates there is a worldwide staffing shortage of nearly three million in the ranks of cybersecurity professionals, with the number rising to 3.5 million by 2021. Expectations are that the shortage will only get worse driven by rising demand for infosec resources for the foreseeable future.

A 2013 Frost & Sullivan study estimated that women accounted for 10-12% of the global cybersecurity workforce. A 2019 research article from Cybercrime Magazine concluded that women accounted for 20% of the global infosec payroll.

The interesting bit is that everyone in the C-suite, including HR, sees the security staffing shortage and in some ways the solution – women in cybersecurity and technology. So why aren’t the positions being filled and what’s holding back women from taking up the vacancies?

Vicki Batka, senior vice president of sales for APJ at Trellix, warns of an impending burnout facing the cybersecurity field – the folks that are running behind the scenes, ensuring that your organisation is safe and secure.

More important, she called out that present approaches to narrow the gap are not sustainable.

“It’s not enough to just hire and fill the skills shortage gap. We also need to train, enable, and educate people that cybersecurity is an exciting career path. We need to step back and think about the type of work that is being done every single day,” she added.

Some suggest outsourcing or bringing external parties as the answer to the internal skills shortage. What are the benefits of this strategy? What are the possible issues it presents longer term?

Vicki Batka

Vicki Batka: The challenge with outsourcing cybersecurity is about accountability – who should be held responsible for any leak of data? Who is going to fix it? We hold board members accountable for risk and compliance and therefore, outsourcing can sometimes seem like a risky strategy.

"I think there are benefits to outsourcing some services, but every organisation is different. There are different ways that we can approach this depending on the maturity of your cybersecurity strategy."

Vicki Batka

What should the industry, government and academia do to establish an atmosphere conducive to encouraging women with the right disposition to pursue a career in cybersecurity/security?

Vicki Batka: At Trellix, we talk about how the work we do is soulful – how do we create a path that people want to pursue? One of the things I’ve been doing recently is working with an organization called Tiger Hall, which provides real-time training and learning.

We’ve got to find these learning platforms – we need to work with government agencies, schools, and any STEM programs. It’s our responsibility as an industry to go and make cybersecurity fun to learn and easy to get into.

What would be the most desirable qualities that a woman would want or need to have to build a career in cybersecurity?

Vicki Batka: Naturally, it’s important to have some skills around maths and science. It’s also important to have a mindset around problem-solving, and a fondness for puzzles and games – especially with security as it is very process driven.

Additionally, cybersecurity sits across so much that we do, hence having a willingness to learn and a desire to work in an industry that’s changing and evolving is also important. 

Having said that, how can we get more women to be part of this bandwagon?

Vicki Batka: That’s the million-dollar question, right? Because it’s a little bit harder. Again, we need to start early and start educating young girls through STEM programs at school. We also need to have role models in the industry and to dispel facts that you need to look a certain way. It’s important to break down barriers and help women understand that it’s achievable.

For women to take on leadership roles in cybersecurity, what needs to happen? What are the things that organisations need to provide to encourage more women to take up leadership roles?

Vicki Batka: Traditionally, when women look at job descriptions, we look at what skills we lack and what we haven’t achieved. I’ve noticed that men tend to say, “I haven’t done that, but I know I can.” Having the confidence to deliver is important.

We must put our hand up. I want to help my team get to their goals and dreams; hence we need to have a conversation on where they’re at and what steps they can take to get there.

What is your advice for women with aspirations to work in tech and security?

Vicki Batka: I get this question a lot. For women in tech, there are so many roles and opportunities now. You must put yourself out there, but don’t just ask someone for a referral and not be honest or truthful with them.

Be honest about what you’re trying to achieve and see how they can help you. There’s so much information on the internet and it’s important to look and leverage tools like LinkedIn and use your network.

Click on the PodChat player to her Batka elaborate on how organisations can break the cybersecurity glass barrier.
  1. It is our understanding that leadership across the C-suite recognises the skills shortage. What are they doing about it?
    1. Is this strategy sustainable?
  2. Some suggest outsourcing or bringing external parties as the answer to the internal skills shortage.
    1. What are the benefits of this strategy?
    1. What are the possible issues it presents longer term?
  3. Should industry, governments and academia work together to establish an atmosphere conducive for women with the right disposition to pursue a career in cybersecurity/security?
  4. What are the qualities most desirable on which to build upon a career in cybersecurity/security?
  5. How can we have more women in cybersecurity? [Where should we start]
  6. For women to take on leadership roles in cybersecurity, what needs to happen today?
  7. What is your advice for women with aspirations to work in tech and security?
Related:  What, why and how of cyber risk quantification
Tags: CISOcybersecurityFrost & Sullivangender diversityInfosec InstitutePodchatsskill shortageTrellix
Allan Tan

Allan Tan

Allan is Group Editor-in-Chief for CXOCIETY writing for FutureIoT, FutureCIO and FutureCFO. He supports content marketing engagements for CXOCIETY clients, as well as moderates senior-level discussions and speaks at events. Previous Roles He served as Group Editor-in-Chief for Questex Asia concurrent to the Regional Content and Strategy Director role. He was the Director of Technology Practice at Hill+Knowlton in Hong Kong and Director of Client Services at EBA Communications. He also served as Marketing Director for Asia at Hitachi Data Systems and served as Country Sales Manager for HDS’ Philippines. Other sales roles include Encore Computer and First International Computer. He was a Senior Industry Analyst at Dataquest (Gartner Group) covering IT Professional Services for Asia-Pacific. He moved to Hong Kong as a Network Specialist and later MIS Manager at Imagineering/Tech Pacific. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering degree and is a certified PICK programmer.

No Result
View All Result

Recent Posts

  • Agentic AI-powered AppSec platform launched for the AI era
  • IDC forecasts GenAI alone will grow at a 59.2% CAGR
  • Dataiku brings new AI capabilities to create and control AI agents
  • Microsoft reveals the rise of a new kind of organisation in the AI era
  • St Luke’s ElderCare enhances data security and user experience with Juniper

Live Poll

Categories

  • Big Data, Analytics & Intelligence
  • Business Applications & Databases
  • Business-IT Alignment
  • Careers
  • Case Studies
  • CISO
  • CISO strategies
  • Cloud, Virtualization, Operating Environments and Middleware
  • Computer, Storage, Networks, Connectivity
  • Corporate Social Responsibility
  • Customer Experience / Engagement
  • Cyber risk management
  • Cyberattacks and data breaches
  • Cybersecurity careers
  • Cybersecurity operations
  • Education
  • Education
  • Finance
  • Finance & Insurance
  • FutureCISO
  • General
  • Governance, Risk and Compliance
  • Government and Public Services
  • Growth Strategies
  • Hospitality & Tourism
  • HR, education and Training
  • Industry Verticals
  • Infrastructure & Platforms
  • Insider threats
  • Latest Stories
  • Logistics & Transportation
  • Management Leadership
  • Manufacturing
  • Media and Telecommunications
  • News Stories
  • Operations
  • Opinion
  • Opinions
  • People
  • Process
  • Remote work
  • Retail & Wholesale
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Security
  • Tactics and Strategies
  • Technology
  • Utilities
  • Videos
  • Vulnerabilities and threats
  • White Papers

Strategic Insights for Chief Information Officers

FutureCIO is about enabling the CIO, his team, the leadership and the enterprise through shared expertise, know-how and experience - through a community of shared interests and goals. It is also about discovering unknown best practices that will help realize new business models.

Quick Links

  • Videos
  • Resources
  • Subscribe
  • Contact

Cxociety Media Brands

  • FutureIoT
  • FutureCFO
  • FutureCIO

Categories

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookie Policy

Copyright © 2022 Cxociety Pte Ltd | Designed by Pixl

Login to your account below

or

Not a member yet? Register here

Forgotten Password?

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Management Leadership
    • Growth Strategies
    • Finance
    • Operations
    • Sales and Marketing
    • Careers
  • Technology
    • Infrastructure and Platforms
    • Business Applications and Databases
    • Big Data, Analytics and Intelligence
    • Security
  • Industry Verticals
    • Finance and Insurance
    • Manufacturing
    • Logistics and Transportation
    • Retail and Wholesale
    • Hospitality and Tourism
    • Government and Public Services
    • Utilities
    • Media and Telecommunications
  • Resources
    • Whitepapers
    • PodChats
    • Videos
  • Events
Login

Copyright © 2022 Cxociety Pte Ltd | Designed by Pixl

Subscribe