Main image: Carith Atwood presenting on the topic of phishing at Cyber Idaho 2023.
Cambia’s Data & Technology team is working to address the workforce diversity gap in the cybersecurity industry as part of our core value to “Be Inclusive.”
Women make up about 24% of the cybersecurity workforce and minorities about 26% of the workforce, according to the World Economic Forum.
Cambia cyber professionals are engaged with Cyversity, an organization whose mission is to achieve consistent representation of women, minorities and veterans in the cybersecurity industry through programs designed to diversify, educate and empower. Cyversity provides scholarship opportunities, diverse workforce development and mentoring programs. Ten members of the Cambia information security team are mentoring Cyversity members through the program.
In April 2023, Cambia and other U.S. health care companies announced a partnership with Cyversity, which offers foundational education in three cybersecurity areas: application security (developing and adding security features in applications), network security (protection of network infrastructure) and cloud security (protecting cloud-based data from cyberattacks).
Steve Person, chief information security officer at Cambia, is committed to expanding the cybersecurity field. “Cybersecurity is a relatively new profession represented largely by those with similar technology backgrounds, but the threat landscape is evolving quickly, and we need diverse perspectives to evolve our strategies and tactics for staying ahead of cybercriminals,” he said.
Building on momentum from the Cyversity partnership, Person and Carith Atwood, information security and compliance analyst, attended the Cyber Idaho Security Summit. The summit, organized by the Idaho Technology Council, focused on cybersecurity in health care, the Idaho cybersecurity ecosystem, cloud and network security, education and awareness.
Atwood gave a presentation on phishing awareness and education. According to a report on CNBC, phishing attacks are increasing and getting more sophisticated. Cambia’s information security team has an extensive program to educate staff on how to spot and report phishing emails, including an annual “phishing tournament” to test the skills of employees who sign up.
Reflecting on the summit, Atwood said: “By connecting with others, we can learn about new technologies, best practices and industry trends. Additionally, it allows us to form partnerships and collaborations across Idaho, sharing ideas and bringing together a community of security teams, professionals and students.”
Person said: “Cybersecurity is truly a team sport and requires a whole-of-nation approach to stay ahead of the latest threat actors and techniques. Cyber Idaho is a great venue to both share what’s worked for us, but also to learn from cyber practitioners and leaders across the Idaho community and the region more broadly.”
By connecting with other cybersecurity professionals at events like Cyber Idaho and supporting partnerships like Cyversity, Cambia is working to build a more inclusive, diverse and effective cybersecurity field.
