Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS): Building Community and Fostering Opportunity in Cybersecurity
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<p class="ai-optimize-7 ai-optimize-introduction"><span data-contrast="auto">When Lynn Dohm walked into RSA Conference 2025, she wasn’t just representing a nonprofit; she was rallying a global movement to build connection, visibility and staying power in one of the most demanding industries in technology. As Executive Director of </span><a href="https://www.wicys.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">Women in CyberSecurity (WiCyS),</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> Dohm has spent the past five and a half years helping turn a small conference into a thriving, international community dedicated to opening doors in cybersecurity and making sure people don’t walk out of them.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-8"><span data-contrast="auto">“We started as a conference in 2014, back when women made up just 11% of the cybersecurity workforce,” she said. “By 2018, that number hadn’t changed, so we became a nonprofit.” Since then, WiCyS has expanded its mission far beyond recruitment, now supporting more than 11,000 members in 103 countries with programming for every career stage, from student to CISO.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-20"><a href="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Women-in-Cybersecurity-rsac-2025.png"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="aligncenter wp-image-2061441 size-full" src="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Women-in-Cybersecurity-rsac-2025.png" alt="" width="522" height="541" srcset="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Women-in-Cybersecurity-rsac-2025.png 522w, https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Women-in-Cybersecurity-rsac-2025-289x300.png 289w" sizes="(max-width: 522px) 100vw, 522px"></a></p><div class="code-block code-block-12 ai-track" data-ai="WzEyLCIiLCJCbG9jayAxMiIsIiIsMV0=" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <style> .ai-rotate {position: relative;} .ai-rotate-hidden {visibility: hidden;} .ai-rotate-hidden-2 {position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback, .ai-list-block, .ai-list-block-ip, .ai-list-block-filter {visibility: hidden; position: absolute; width: 50%; height: 1px; top: -1000px; z-index: -9999; margin: 0px!important;} .ai-list-data, .ai-ip-data, .ai-filter-check, .ai-fallback {min-width: 1px;} </style> <div class="ai-rotate ai-unprocessed ai-timed-rotation ai-12-1" data-info="WyIxMi0xIiwyXQ==" style="position: relative;"> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden;" data-index="1" data-name="VGVjaHN0cm9uZyBHYW5nIFlvdXR1YmU=" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://youtu.be/Fojn5NFwaw8" target="_blank"><img src="https://securityboulevard.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Techstrong-Gang-Youtube-PodcastV2-770.png" alt="Techstrong Gang Youtube"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> <div class="ai-rotate-option" style="visibility: hidden; position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;" data-index="1" data-name="QVdTIEh1Yg==" data-time="MTA="> <div class="custom-ad"> <div style="margin: auto; text-align: center;"><a href="https://devops.com/builder-community-hub/?ref=in-article-ad-1&utm_source=do&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=in-article-ad-1" target="_blank"><img src="https://devops.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Gradient-1.png" alt="AWS Hub"></a></div> <div class="clear-custom-ad"></div> </div></div> </div> </div><p class="ai-optimize-9"><span data-contrast="auto">At RSA, a sprawling and often overwhelming industry security conference with more than 40,000 attendees, WiCyS has carved out space for something increasingly rare: belonging. On Tuesday night of the conference, the organization hosted a community meetup at District, a venue with an upscale, lived-in vibe that included everything from standing tables to couches and shared appetizers. Backed by sponsors </span><a href="https://aws.amazon.com/security/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">Amazon</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">Microsoft Security</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><a href="https://cloud.google.com/security" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">Google</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, </span><a href="https://www.sentinelone.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">SentinelOne</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> and </span><a href="https://www.sans.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">SANS</span></a><span data-contrast="auto">, the event offered more than just networking. It gave attendees a sense of orientation and connection away from the conference chaos.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-10"><span data-contrast="auto">That kind of grounding can be transformative. “One woman walked up to me after our event and said, ‘Now I can do RSA,’” Dohm said. “That moment really stuck with me. In a sea of noise, she found her people, and that’s exactly why we do this.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><div class="code-block code-block-15" style="margin: 8px 0; clear: both;"> <script async src="https://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/js/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-2091799172090865" crossorigin="anonymous" type="1c3f1f859aef12a1c8e7fc74-text/javascript"></script> <!-- SB In Article Ad 1 --> <ins class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-2091799172090865" data-ad-slot="8723094367" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins> <script type="1c3f1f859aef12a1c8e7fc74-text/javascript"> (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); </script></div><p class="ai-optimize-11"><span data-contrast="auto">WiCyS’s work doesn’t stop with first impressions. While many organizations focus heavily on coding skills or technical recruiting, Dohm’s team takes a broader view of talent. “We’re always looking for hidden potential, the teacher who can lead a room, the nurse who understands critical infrastructure, the communicator who can translate technical risk into real-world relevance,” she said. “Cybersecurity needs them all.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-12"><span data-contrast="auto">This perspective is baked into their programs, from early career support to hands-on competitions like the Target Cyber Defense Challenge. The group also helps professionals transition into cyber from other industries by identifying transferable skills and wrapping them with the structure, mentorship and community needed to thrive. Still, perhaps the most urgent part of WiCyS’s mission now is retention. Research and experience both show that women in cybersecurity tend to hit a career ceiling between six and ten years in, a glass ceiling that’s less about talent and more about support.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-13"><span data-contrast="auto">To counter that trend, WiCyS recently launched a </span><a href="https://www.wicys.org/benefits/senior-leaders-network/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><span data-contrast="none">Senior Leaders Network</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> for CISOs, VPs, and other executive-level professionals. The idea is to provide not just a network, but a lifeline. “The higher you rise, the lonelier it gets,” Dohm said. “You get caught up in the doing and forget the being, why you got into this work in the first place. We wanted to create a space where leaders could reconnect, problem-solve and grow together.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-14"><span data-contrast="auto">Mentorship plays a similarly central role in that effort. Their cohort-based mentoring model is designed to expand networks while sharpening leadership skills. “Our research shows that mentees are five times more likely to get promoted,” said Dohm. “And mentors? Six times. It’s growth on both sides, because mentoring someone else makes you a better leader.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-15"><span data-contrast="auto">While WiCyS began in the United States, its community now stretches across six continents. Regional affiliates in places like India, the UK, Australia and Canada operate like satellites, tailoring programming to local needs while still benefiting from the global mission and resources. Yet, even with that reach, Dohm acknowledges that cultural dynamics can complicate progress. “It’s a tough issue, and we’re still navigating it,” she said. “There are still deeply embedded social expectations in some cultures that affect how women advance in the workplace, even in global companies based in the U.S.” To that end, WiCyS empowers its regional leaders to address these nuances with community-driven approaches and localized partnerships.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-16"><span data-contrast="auto">As <a href="https://securityboulevard.com/2024/03/the-ai-advantage-mitigating-the-security-alert-deluge-in-a-talent-scarce-landscape/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cybersecurity faces a growing talent shortage</a> and a generational shift with the retirement of baby boomers, Dohm sees opportunity, but only if organizations start treating their people like the most valuable asset in cyber. That means intentional hiring, not just checkboxes. It means CISOs taking ownership of their teams, working alongside HR, and building job descriptions grounded in what’s truly needed, not just wish lists. And it means promoting those who bring fresh perspectives, not just those who look and sound familiar. “Our nature is to hire people who remind us of ourselves,” she said. “But innovation doesn’t come from sameness — it comes from diversity of thought, background and experience. That’s what we help organizations unlock.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-17"><span data-contrast="auto">Back at RSA, amid the noise and exhaustion of a packed conference week, WiCyS stood out for one simple reason: It offered connection. Not marketing. Not a pitch deck. Just real people seeing and supporting each other, early career, mid-career, senior leaders and allies alike. “We’re not a women-only organization,” Dohm emphasized. “We’re a community of women, men and allies committed to solving the cybersecurity workforce shortage, together.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><p class="ai-optimize-18"><span data-contrast="auto">That’s the real mission. Not just filling jobs but creating a future where people from all backgrounds can grow, thrive and stay. Where leadership feels less lonely, where potential is recognized and results are attributed and rewarded.</span></p><p><span data-contrast="auto">And WiCyS is leading the charge!</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p><div class="spu-placeholder" style="display:none"></div>