Secure Diversity is an innovative non-profit organization with leaders that think out of the box to create strategies & solutions to increase diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Founded in 2015 by Deidre Diamond, Secure Diversity fosters gender diversity, equity, and inclusion in cybersecurity through conferences, networking, mentoring, professional development, training, and community outreach. A primary goal is to raise awareness and increase the number of women and other historically excluded genders in the cybersecurity workforce.
Secure Diversity
Mission
Secure Diversity works to increase diversity in the cybersecurity industry. Research from Gartner, as shared by CIO, has shown that organizations that are diverse and create inclusive environments beyond “diversity of thought” have higher productivity and retention rates as well as healthy revenue.
Definitions
Diversity
The various identities that make us different from others. This includes age, national origin, religion, gender, (dis)ability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language(s) spoken, country of origin, citizenship, neurodiversity, body size, political views, familial and parental status, and military status.
Equity
As equity is about leveling the foundation to create equal opportunities no matter your identities, we seek to create opportunities in cybersecurity for anyone with the required skills or provide access to educational and training opportunities to develop those skills.
Inclusion
Through programming, partnerships, and education, we aim to work with companies that will provide environments where those who don’t fit the historically traditional ideal of a cybersecurity professional will be included, respected, welcomed, valued, paid equitably, and given opportunities for learning, growth, and promotion.
Secure Diversity History & Founder
Secure Diversity was founded by Deidre Diamond, Founder and CEO of CyberSN, to address the gender diversity gap in cybersecurity. We began by addressing the booth babes at RSAC and launched a nonprofit called Brainbabe. To be more expansive and inclusive, we changed our name to Secure Diversity. Since then, we’ve expanded our programs and brought the Day of Shecurity conference onboard.
Talent and technology veteran, Deidre Diamond, Founder and CEO of CyberSN and Secure Diversity, has created the largest cybersecurity talent acquisition service and technology firm in the U.S; while focusing on the cybersecurity talent shortage, specifically the shortage of women. Deidre’s mission is to remove the pain from job searching and matching for everyone. Deidre cares tremendously about people loving where they work and has been working to create cultures that have high EQ (emotional intelligence) skills. These skills focus on words and behaviors. Deidre is known in the D/I community as someone who works hard at making sure words and behaviors are inclusive for all, so that inclusive environments can also be diverse environments.
Day of Shecurity History
It all Began With a Simple Idea…
With the two words, “what if”, a spark ignited a flame. What if, just for one day, we would forget the state of the current industry? What if we created an experience that gives the same opportunities to women that men have enjoyed for decades? What if we could stand up in union and open our minds and hearts to help make that dream a reality? What if?…
The first Lookout S(h)ecurity Bootcamp was held on June 23rd at Lookout’s Headquarters in San Francisco. A combined effort between the Lookout Diversity Steering Committee and HackerOne gave twenty-five women the opportunity to participate in something truly unique. A one-day, free-to-attend hands-on training session in security from professionals in the industry culminating with a grand prize raffle to attend DEF CON 25 in Las Vegas, Nevada. When the application process was opened, nobody knew what to expect. Much to the surprise of everyone involved, over one hundred applications were received in the first three days, four times the number that could even attend.
Over the course of the next six months, two more Lookout S(h)ecurity Bootcamps were held in Lookout’s other offices with variations on the original theme, one in Boston and one in Toronto. However, the Lookout S(h)ecurity Bootcamps were destined for something much greater.
In late December 2017, Matt Torbin, Tad Whitaker, and Laura Buitrago wrote the official proposal to create Day of Shecurity. The goal: bigger, bolder, badder. Making a small splash wasn’t going to suffice. The Day of Shecurity had to have an asteroid-sized impact on the industry—something big enough and bold enough to make permanent changes to the industry. In short, the Day of Shecurity couldn’t simply be a whisper; it had to be a deafening roar.
Attendance at the 2018 event in San Francisco was ten times as large. In 2019, Day of Shecurity pushed that number an additional 20%. These events enabled women to learn more about the cybersecurity industry, receive free hands-on technical training, and develop mentoring relationships—most importantly, they found career opportunities from the amazing sponsors. Day of Shecurity has continued to host in-person events and, in 2021, added virtual options, allowing greater access and reaching a global audience.
Together, we can make a difference.