New America is hosting a cybersecurity panel on diversity

It seems that no one can escape cyber threats these days — from political parties to even the King in the North.

As the threats in cybersecurity outpace the community itself, the need for innovative thinking has multiplied. According to New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative the solution is rather simple: diversity.

Despite a projected 1.8 million shortages in the workforce, women, for example, currently represent only 11 percent of professionals in the cybersecurity community.

It’s issues like this that are central to Laura Bate‘s work as senior program associate at New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative.

“The shortage of workers in the cybersecurity industry is an economic and security problem that we are working to confront through better alignment of the training pipeline and the hiring community, and through opening the aperture of who we perceive as a ‘fit’ for the workforce,” Bate wrote in an email.

To address the importance of diversity in solving today’s challenges in cybersecurity, New America Cybersecurity Initiative will host a panel on Aug. 11 at their 15^th Street location in D.C.

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Three panelist will be featured at the event, moderated by Ian Wallace, co-director of New America’s Cybersecurity Initiative:

• Debora Plunkett, principal consultant at Plunkett Associates and former director of information assurance at National Security Agency
•  Suzanne Spaulding, former under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at Department of Homeland Security
•  Mihoko Matsubara, chief security officer for Japan at Palo Alto Networks

The panel starts at 9:30 a.m., but don’t worry — they’ll bring the coffee. Participants will have the opportunity to network with other cybersecurity professionals at the breakfast, which will be available for all participants.

If you must have your freshly brewed specialty drink, New America still has you covered. They’ll be offering a live webcast of the panel. To register and learn more about the event, click below.