The cybersecurity industry continues to be dominated by straight, white males.

Edward Gately, Senior News Editor

June 8, 2022

7 Slides

RSA CONFERENCE — This week’s RSA Conference 2022 featured a call from Trellix CEO Bryan Palma for the cybersecurity industry to do more to fill the massive and growing cybersecurity talent shortage.

The RSA 2022 event, the first since the start of the pandemic, brought more than 30,000 cybersecurity professionals from across the globe to San Francisco.

The cybersecurity talent shortage is continuously getting worse. There are about 400,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the United States, according to an (ISC)² report.

Palma said the cybersecurity industry continues to be dominated by straight, white males. And it’s not doing much to change that.

He chastised social media giants like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, saying their leaders are aware of the societal damage they cause, but are taking little action. They have revealed themselves as amoral, and many of their employees are sick of it.

Employees Fleeing Social Media Giants

Many employees joined these companies in the belief that they would unite people, Palma said. Instead, these companies have “lost their way.”

Employees are leaving social media companies “in droves” in search of more “soulful work, work they can be proud of and that’s of a higher purpose,” he said. Stopping cybercriminals from taking down insulin machines in hospitals and limiting access to water in the Ukraine is the very definition of soulful work.

“The move from soulless to soulful presents an incredible opportunity for our industry,” Palma said. “Imagine if we turn it into a watershed moment in cybersecurity. Imagine attracting those seeking a fulfilling future. There’s no limit to the number of heart and minds we could inspire … maybe a million.”

Day two of RSA brought a lot more news and interviews. Among the latest newsmakers are Cisco, CrowdStrike Flashpoint, Sumo Logic and more.

See our slideshow above for more from RSA Conference USA.

Want to contact the author directly about this story? Have ideas for a follow-up article? Email Edward Gately or connect with him on LinkedIn.

About the Author(s)

Edward Gately

Senior News Editor, Channel Futures

As news editor, Edward Gately covers cybersecurity, new channel programs and program changes, M&A and other IT channel trends. Prior to Informa, he spent 26 years as a newspaper journalist in Texas, Louisiana and Arizona.

Free Newsletters for the Channel
Register for Your Free Newsletter Now

You May Also Like