Supporting economic advancement among women in cybersecurity | Guest Christina Van Houten

Christina Van Houten talks about Women@Work and women in cybersecurity on this week's episode. We discuss tactics for bringing more women and diverse candidates into cybersecurity, the importance of a well-balanced and skills-diverse team, and how the work of Chief Strategy Officer is like an ever-evolving game of Tetris! 

0:00 - Intro
2:30 - Van Houten's origin story
4:13 - Strategies cybersecurity was lacking
7:05 - Accomplishments that helped bolster her career
13:46 - Average day as chief strategy officer
18:03 - Entering cybersecurity in different ways
20:37 - Women@Work and trying to help
26:27 - Bringing more women into cybersecurity
29:20 - Making careers accessible to women
34:14 - Diversifying upper management 
36:22 - Success stories mentoring women
41:01 - Men@Work book and men in cybersecurity
46:33 - Roadblocks women in cybersecurity face
50:47 - Projects from Mimecast
54:37 - Outro

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Christina Van Houten is a veteran of the enterprise technology industry, having spent two decades with some of the world’s largest firms, including Oracle, IBM and Infor Global Solutions as well as Netezza and ProfitLogic, the entrepreneurial companies that were acquired by them. Currently, Christina is chief strategy officer for Mimecast, a global leader in cybersecurity, where she leads product management, market strategy, corporate development, and M&A. She also serves on the board of directors for TechTarget and has been involved as an advisory board member of several emerging technology firms. In 2017, Christina launched Women@Work, a resource platform dedicated to the economic advancement and self-reliance of women and girls around the world.

About Infosec
Infosec believes knowledge is power when fighting cybercrime. We help IT and security professionals advance their careers with  skills development and certifications while empowering all employees with security awareness and privacy training to stay cyber-safe at work and home. It’s our mission to equip all organizations and individuals with the know-how and confidence to outsmart cybercrime. Learn more at infosecinstitute.com.