Communications & Culture

Women and people of color are less likely to serve in leadership positions in cybersecurity companies, and there are stark cybersecurity salary discrepancies across race and gender. Yet the government and private sector laments a cybersecurity talent gap, as thousands of cybersecurity positions remain unfilled due to a supposed lack of qualified workers. We must do better. Building a more diverse cybersecurity industry is not only critical to creating a more inclusive America. It will also strengthen our nation’s security by bringing in new perspectives to solve thorny information security challenges and shoring up our workforce.

The national reckoning on racial justice that began in mid-2020, prompted by the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and other Black Americans at the hands of police, has further clarified that current DEI efforts, however well-meaning, have not addressed the overwhelming white-ness and male-ness of the cybersecurity field. With support from the Hewlett Foundation and in consultation with cybersecurity expert Camille Stewart, Aspen Digital and the Aspen Tech Policy Hub have made recommendations for diversifying the cybersecurity industry across two categories: immediate actions and those that require further investment.

We are living through a time of intense conflict in what seems like every part of society - online, on TV, and in our communities. You’re not imagining it. So, on this episode of the Value of Leadership, we ask: Why are we so polarized?

Representative Liz Cheney discusses her personal experience at the Capitol January 6th.

Featuring Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in conversation with Eric Schmidt, former chairman and CEO of Google.

Featuring Eric Deggans, TV critic for NPR and contributor to MSNBC and NBC News, Joanne Lipman, author of “That's What She Said: What Men Need to Know (and Women Need to Tell Them) About Working Together” and former chief content officer of Gannett and editor-in-chief of USA TODAY and the USA TODAY NETWORK, and Brian Stelter, chief media correspondent for CNN and anchor of “Reliable Sources”, in conversation with Vivian Schiller, executive director of Aspen Digital.

Much of this stems from malign actors, some who are driven by profit and others, like foreign intelligence services, strategically weaponize our existing divisions against us.

Designer of the Social Change Ecosystem, Deepa Iyer, breaks down the Ecosystem and explains how the tool can help sustain each player in the long haul that is creating lasting social change. 

Imagine a new kind of democracy — one that puts governance back in the hands of the people.