diversity

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021 - Current diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts have not adequately supported underrepresented groups in the cybersecurity field. The Aspen Tech Policy Hub and Aspen Digital hosted experts to discuss how to build a more inclusive cyber future, and launch a related report detailing the findings from two roundtables convening an intergenerational and cross-disciplinary group of professionals.

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.

JUNE 16, 2021 - While digital platforms enable social connection, cyberviolence and hate speech are surging at an unprecedented rate. According to the UN, three quarters or more of the victims of online hate speech are members of minority groups, such as women, religious minorities, and people of color. Of late, we’ve witnessed how such norms  directly lead to real world violence against  families, businesses, and houses of worship.

Now is the time for tech leaders to use their unprecedented power to advance goals for diversity, equity, and inclusion in their own companies and across the industry. On January 27, 2021, we held the third and last dialogue of Tech X Talent. The focus was on addressing industry-wide goal-setting and actionable steps to drive sector change.

On December 8, 2020, we convened experts to examine methods for building inclusive work environments, ensuring pay equity, and enhancing performance management.

Local government purchasing, including how a jurisdiction decides what to buy, and how they decide who to buy from, makes a huge difference in how innovative and equitable that government will be.