Diversity Touted as Necessary to Counter Corporate Cyber Threats

In an industry facing a skills gap and almost a half-million open cyber positions, bringing more diverse talent to the field, especially in cybersecurity law, will close that gap and help companies improve their defenses against the rash of widespread cyberattacks plaguing companies like SolarWinds Inc., Colonial Pipeline Inc. and JBS S.A., reports Bloomberg News. In the American cybersecurity workforce, 9 percent self-identify as African American or Black, a 2018 report co-sponsored by trade nonprofits (ISC)² Inc. and International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals found. Overall, non-white professionals account for 26 percent of the field, and 14 percent of the workforce is female. Women make up 17 percent of professionals of color.

The report partly blamed the skills gap on the lack of adequate training and mentoring programs that could encourage professionals of color to stay in the field. Black cybersecurity lawyers say the anti-racism movement forced law firms and companies to notice their efforts to promote diversity, but they still want to see businesses and firms more actively involved to ensure success. Participation in initiatives like the Mansfield Rule certification program, which measures participating law firms’ hiring practices to ensure at least 30 percent of the candidates considered for senior positions are women, lawyers of color, LGBTQ+ lawyers and lawyers with disabilities, can help locate diverse candidates for firms looking to hire.