Presented at
Diana Initiative 2023,
Aug. 7, 2023, 10 a.m.
(60 minutes).
Everyone loves a good hero story, except when it provides a foundation for burnout, gatekeeping, intolerance, and creating a toxic culture. Cyber security as an industry and career has long suffered the negative impact of elements closely tied to the heroic mindset, and the recent global pandemic has drawn these outcomes into sharp relief.
This talk explores the origins of no sleep, no downtime, chaos-driven response, and reward systems alongside “Superpower” skillsets that act as barriers to entry for many early in career individuals. It examines conditions that value and foster isolation, and burnout, and often portray mental health issues as weakness. It provides real-world examples of the impact of “hero culture” as a negative element in the InfoSec community, including social media communications, adversarial interview processes, and corporate messaging. Lastly, it presents strategies for addressing these concerns and resources for those struggling or wishing to grow beyond the current state of affairs.
Presenters:
-
George Sandford
- Fortinet
George is a passionate advocate for building a more effective and positive security community through expanding diversity & inclusion, mentorship, and helping individuals and teams reach their best potential.He has over 20 years of experience helping clients solve their IT and Security challenges through firsthand engagement, leading exceptional teams, and focusing on customer success.
I'm happy to talk about (almost) anything, but I am especially interested in the human side of cyber security, mental health, new2cyber, and leadership development. Feel free to connect and AMA or provide feedback. Thanks!
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