Women in cybersecurity share advice for females joining the industry during Bugcrowd webinar

During a recent webinar hosted by Bugcrowd's Chief Marketing Officer Emily Ferdinando to celebrate International Women's Month, leading women in cybersecurity shared their experiences, insights, and advice for encouraging more women to join the industry.

The webinar featured contributions from Einat Shimoni, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) of Lusha; Katie Paxton-Fear, an ethical hacker; and Liz Steininger, CEO of Least Authority.

Mentorship and empowerment

Reflecting on her own career during the webinar, Shimoni described her efforts to empower women in cybersecurity.

"One of the achievements I'm most proud of in my career is actually recruiting and mentoring young women that actually graduate computer science, and then we train them to become cybersecurity analysts," she explained.

"It's not just about filling an entry-level role, but also about creating a pipeline for future female leaders in cybersecurity."

Shimoni also volunteers by visiting schools to encourage girls to pursue STEM education.

"Every year, I'm dedicated to visiting schools and speaking with ninth-grade students just before they choose their academic track," she said. "My goal is to encourage and empower them to aim high. Even if just one or two young girls feel inspired by my words and decide to pursue their studies, I feel I've made a difference."

Sponsorship and allyship

Paxton-Fear stressed the importance of sponsorship, particularly for women seeking leadership opportunities.

"Mentorship is fantastic and offers so many opportunities," she said. "But I think it's really important that allies in organisations — men, in particular — sponsor women. They should put their name on the line when it comes to talented women on their teams, and they should fight for opportunities for those women."

Paxton-Fear explained that ensuring greater diversity in cybersecurity requires proactive effort from entire organisations, not just the women within them.

"We can't depend only on women to push for diversity," she added. "It's a team effort, and everyone's got a part to play."

Facing challenges in cybersecurity

Sharing her journey as a leader in cybersecurity, Steininger reflected on her career path.

"Luckily, I'm one of those people that likes challenges," she said. "The biggest career breaks I've had have been thanks to allies giving me opportunities that would have otherwise maybe not been accessible to me."

Steininger added that allies are essential to creating new pathways for women in cybersecurity.

"For those allies out there," she advised, "keep the opportunities open for women, because you'll get some really great talent as a result."

Learning through mistakes

Discussing some of the more light-hearted moments in their careers, Shimoni shared an amusing experience where she unknowingly fixed security vulnerabilities that she herself had created during her earlier career as a developer.

"I actually found myself fixing serious security issues that I had unknowingly created in my previous role," Shimoni recalled.

"That experience really helped me appreciate both sides — the priorities of development teams and the security risks they face."

Paxton-Fear similarly recounted a stressful yet formative experience early in her career, when she discovered her company's systems were being targeted by ransomware while she was the only employee present in the office.

"I did the only reasonable thing," she said. "I went to the server, switched it off by the power socket, and just hoped for the best."

Advice for aspiring women in cybersecurity

The panelists concluded by offering advice for young women considering a career in cybersecurity.

"Don't be afraid," Shimoni encouraged. "You need to embrace changes, step out of your comfort zone, and take opportunities that may seem bigger than you think you're capable of. You can learn as you go, and you'll grow from it."

Steininger highlighted the importance of listening to supportive mentors and allies.

"Sometimes, your allies see your potential better than you see it yourself," she advised.

Paxton-Fear encouraged aspiring ethical hackers to take initiative.

"Don't tell yourself you need to reach a critical mass of knowledge before getting started," she said.

"You'll learn more in the first five minutes of looking at a real target than you ever will from just reading books or watching videos."

Optimism for the Future

Despite growing concerns about opposition to diversity initiatives in some regions, the panelists expressed optimism for the future of women in cybersecurity.

"In Israel, I see more and more women not only in cybersecurity but in finance, HR, and other leadership roles," Shimoni said. "I'm optimistic."

Paxton-Fear reinforced the value that diversity brings to cybersecurity.

"Diversity of people encourages diversity of thought," she said. "That encourages better organisations and better security outcomes."

The panelists concluded by encouraging young women to both "explore careers in cybersecurity" and to "seek out mentors and sponsors" who can help them thrive in the field.