If you’re out in San Francisco this week, I’m jealous. I love conferences. Any opportunity to learn and network is fun for me. They don’t feel like work. But, I’m not at RSA. I’m stuck in New England. Instead of witnessing the excitement of product announcements first hand, my inbox is filled with press releases of all that I am missing.
You, though, are there. And in the days ahead, there are many more fantastic speakers, many more innovations to be unveiled, and many more panels discussions to sit in on.
The women in security have a lot of networking opportunities this week. Perhaps you attended Monday’s panel discussion on how to attract and retain women in the security industry? That was not your only chance to connect with other professional women, though. Maybe you’ve already listened to Joyce Brocaglia in her peer to peer talk on Tuesday, A Fitness Test for Fostering Women Leaders in IT Security.
Today’s agenda includes more important sessions for all of the women attending RSA.
Women who are veterans in the field of security likely know about the Executive Women’s Forum (EWF), but if you’re new to security and looking to network with your peers, today is the day for you to learn more about this professional organization that fosters the building of relationships of women in security.
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The Executive Women’s Forum (EWF) on Information Security, Risk Management and Privacy, founded by Alta Associates, a search firm specializing in cybersecurity, will host its annual EWF Meet & Greet at the RSA Conference.
The meet and greet sponsored by Accenture will take place today, Wednesday, March 2 at 1pm in the Moscone West Room 2002.
Whether you are interested in pursuing a career in information or cybersecurity, you’ve just started a degree program, or you’ve just landed your first job, you probably look around and notice that there are not a lot of other women in your field. While many enterprises are working to promote cultures that attract and retain women, change takes time.
Each organization has its own culture, and within that culture, there are sub-cultures that grow out of the bonds that connect people together. Having the opportunity to engage in meaningful conversation with other women is a beneficial support system from which many women have benefitted.
So, all women attending the RSA conference are invited to join in on the conversation. Women who are new to the security industry will have the chance to immerse themselves in a community of experienced women in their field.
Brocaglia, CEO, Alta Associates, Inc. and founder, Executive Women's Forum said, “For women who are new to the industry, I would think they want to know how to engage, get their voices heard, be active in an organization, and find people that will mentor and sponsor them.”
Within a community of like-minded professionals, women can engage in thoughtful conversations and develop meaningful relationships in order to become an authority. Men who champion the success of women in security are also welcome to attend to meet and greet each other at this peer exchange.
“We are proud to host this annual event which provides an opportunity to engage and connect the most promising and prominent women in our field,” said Brocaglia.
What’s also exciting for EWF today is that they are making an important announcement.
“We are going to make an announcement about a working group around voice privacy and the establishment of a draft of guidelines. We will also announce a call to action to join the voice privacy group as an initiative to start putting thought leadership and opportunities that voice technology is bringing,” Brocaglia said.
To learn more about this voice privacy industry group, get over to the meet and greet. Introduce yourself to Joyce and other women. Get there for all of us women who can’t be there today. Go all Helen Reddy and let your voices be heard.
