Why Diversity Matters

The vulnerability of our technology infrastructure to global threats is well established. But for every high-profile cyber breach that makes the headlines, there are millions of attempts every today that are thwarted by professionals entrusted as guardians of the networks and systems that define modern society.

Just as threats are unrestrained by borders and defined by actors of all races, genders, and backgrounds, our cybersecurity workforce must be equipped with a corresponding balance of professionals with diversity of thought, perspective, and culture.

It’s not just that principles of diversity and inclusion are appropriate for every industry, though that is true. It’s not just that cyber threats represent one of the most significant threats to our global community and economy, but that also is true. And it’s not simply that an overly homogenous cyber workforce is a genuine national security threat, though that most definitely is the case.

The fact is that cybersecurity showcases one of the best examples of why diversity and inclusion is not just the right thing to do, but it is also one of the smartest investments in which institutions and governments can engage to safeguard their business processes, their infrastructure, and their people.

The Facts

The emerging facts and statistics about the benefits of diversity and inclusion tell the story. A diverse management team boosts revenue by 19% while 43% of companies that have diverse management exhibited higher profits, according to What to Become. At the same time, an overwhelming 78% of people believe diversity and inclusion offers companies a competitive advantage, this as teams with diversity are 87% better at decision-making than individuals.

And cybersecurity duels as a profession that particularly benefits from principles of diversity and inclusion while presenting enormous risk to our technology infrastructure. Accenture reports that 68% of business leaders indicate cybersecurity risks are increasing. RiskBased indicates that data breaches exposed 36 billion records in the first half of 2020 alone. In the meantime, human beings and machines around the world use 300 billion passwords, according to Cybersecurity Media, this while 95% of cyber breaches are the result of human error, according to Cybint.

The intersection of diversity/inclusion and cybersecurity simultaneously presents enormous risk and enormous opportunity. That is the reason for Cyversity and the tools and resources made available to members. Become a Cyversity member today!