SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., March 08, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reflecting on their own experiences in the cybersecurity industry, six women leaders with Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation (Nasdaq: CISO), a global Managed Compliance and Cybersecurity Provider (MCCP) based in Scottsdale, Ariz., are sharing their stories of pushing boundaries for success during Women's History Month (March) and on the occasion of International Women's Day, this year themed, "Break the Bias," March 8. More than 22 percent of Cerberus Sentinel's employees, who also are shareholders, are women at all levels of the company.
Shared themes among the group are the importance of showing confidence, developing and sharing their expertise in the male-dominated cybersecurity industry, being inspired by mentors and, in turn, being a mentor to women, and helping shift the notion of female biases and gender inequality.
"I serve on the Board of Directors for a world-class cybersecurity company not to prove women can lead in a male-dominated industry, but to provide the best insight, legal guidance, and leadership possible. In doing so, I also cut a path for other women. I believe the best way to break biases is to be the very best at what you do," says Sandra Douglass Morgan, member, board of directors, Cerberus Sentinel, and several other organizations, and of counsel to Covington and Burling LLP, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.
Deb Smith, CFO, Cerberus Sentinel, said, "Find a great mentor, either male or female, as this opens up opportunities for growth, collaboration, and other perspectives."
"I grew up believing there isn’t anything men can do that women can’t," said Kerry McQuarrie, senior incident response engineer, Cerberus Sentinel. "I played competitive soccer with the boys in my youth, and now I lead ransomware investigations that typically involve teams and clients that entirely consist of men."
"I have loved mentoring and encouraging women throughout my career as a business owner and now as a leader at Cerberus Sentinel," said Baan Alsinawi, managing director, Talatek, a Cerberus Sentinel company. "I am also a co-managing director for the Girls in Tech organization, D.C. chapter, an amazing organization designed to help women at all ages in their tech career path."
"The industry welcomes women," said Hansol Shin, security consultant, Cerberus Sentinel. "All you need is a willingness to continuously learn and solve problems."
"Don't worry about people who mistake your strength for aggression," said Lindsey Watts, vice president, marketing, Cerberus Sentinel. "We have to unlearn outdated cultural training that tells women to make ourselves smaller in order to make others more comfortable, because it undermines our ability to lead."
Of lessons learned as a woman in a leadership role, Douglass Morgan, said, "I've learned never to shy away from asking hard questions or delivering difficult truths. If you don't speak up when you feel strongly about something, you never give people a chance to rise to the occasion."
Alsinawi noted, "Women perspectives matter, and there is a need to increase women leadership roles in the industry. Including women adds much needed creativity, collaboration and determination for success."
On the best advice to share with other women in cybersecurity, "This industry will challenge you every day and bring you as many opportunities as you want," said Shin, while McQuarrie said, "Be confident in who you are and what you bring to the table. It can be challenging sometimes in an extremely male-dominated industry but always remember you have what it takes. The only one doubting you is yourself!"
According to Smith on "breaking the bias" and furthering gender equality, "Start with examining the hiring process and ensure you have practices that support talent pool diversification. It's also important to make sure you have policies that support women to stay in the workforce such as unlimited PTO, flexibility in work hours and to support remote work."
On the "breaking the bias" point, Watts said, "I make a concerted effort to highlight the tremendous achievements of our female experts without qualifying them as 'female'. It isn't about their 'femaleness'; it's about their expertise."
Cerberus Sentinel, founded in 2019, designed its business model of acquiring organizations comprised of experts specializing in cybersecurity and compliance. Cerberus Sentinel helps secure companies against the exponential growth of cyber threats and encourages them to develop a culture of security and not a reliance on products. The company's unique model narrows the cybersecurity skills gap by bringing on expert teams through acquisition and making them all owners to share in safeguarding clients and having a stake in the organization.
About Cerberus Sentinel
Cerberus Sentinel is a Managed Compliance and Cybersecurity Provider (MCCP) with its exclusive MCCP+ managed compliance and cybersecurity services plus culture program. The company is rapidly expanding by acquiring world-class cybersecurity, secured managed services, and compliance companies with top-tier talent that utilize the latest technology to create innovative solutions to protect the most demanding businesses and government organizations against continuing and emerging security threats and compliance obligations. For more information, visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter @CerberusCSC, or at www.cerberussentinel.com.
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