Being the Diversity Hire in Cyber w/ Amber DeVilbiss

The Cyber Queens Podcast

**DISCLAIMER: All of our opinions are our own. They do not represent, nor are they affiliated with the interests and beliefs of the companies we work for. **
In this episode, The Queens dive into the difference of being hired into cyber as the “diversity hire” or being “hired for talent.” Today’s featured guest is Amber DeVilbiss (@engineeramber) - Security Advisor at GuidePoint Security. Amber has spent the past 14 years in cybersecurity, she wrote and published a children’s cyber security book “The Little Cyber Engineer,” and is the founder of a non-profit Teach Kids Tech. Amber and the Queens share their experiences of being a female in cyber- a heavily male dominated field.

From this episode, you can get a good understanding of how to navigate being the diversity hire and talent hire. You will get some advice around how Gen-Z is changing the workforce. You will also hear some of our “war stories” from the field and how to identify when you are stuck in one. We hope you will enjoy this episode as much as we did because its AMBER DAY!!!!
Key Topics:

• Hiring For Diversity vs. Hiring For Talent
• Navigating The Diversity Hire
• Navigating The Talent Hire
• How Does Being The Only Female On Your Team Affect Your Actions Or Approach?
• War Stories From The Field Of Being A Woman In Cyber
• The Acronym Conundrum
• Success Based Off Gender
• Women Only Advance In Cyber Through Sexual Encounters Not Knowledge
• Women Become Desensitized To The Gender Discrimination In Cyber & Accept It As “Normal”
• Advice For Gen-Z On How To Handle Being The Diversity Hire
• Diversity Hiring Advice To Companies…..Butt In Seats Is Not Enough
• How Gen-Z/Diversity Is Changing The Workforce

Sources:

• GuidePoint Security
• Amber’s Book “The Little Cyber Engineer”
• Amber’s Non-Profit Company “Teach Kids Tech”
• LIFT, Empowered By Women In Security
• DEF CON Conference
• Cyber Queens Episode 9 – Gen-Z Strengths & Weaknesses

Get in Touch with Amber

• Amber DeVilbiss - TikTok or Instagram @engineeramber
• Amber DeVilbiss – LinkedIn

Get in Touch:

• Maril Vernon LinkedIn
• Stacey Champagne LinkedIn
• Queens Twitter - @TheCyberQueens
• Queens LinkedIn

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Chương

1. Introductions (00:00:00)

2. Amber DeVilbiss @engineeramber Intro (00:00:31)

3. Navigating Being The Diversity Hire (00:01:25)

4. Times we were the only female on the team (00:02:00)

5. War Stories From The Field (00:06:30)

6. Assumptions That Were Made Around Our Success Where Due To Gender Not Intelligence (00:19:22)

7. How Women Become Desensitized To The Gender Discrimination In Cyber (00:20:15)

8. Discrimination at DEFCON (00:20:42)

9. How To Deal With Being The Diversity Hire As A Gen-Z Professional In Cyber (00:22:03)

10. How To Approach The Cyber Industry As A Newbie (00:26:00)

11. How Gen-Z/Diversity Is Changing The Workforce (00:28:49)

12. How To Realize Your Worth vs Fitting A Companies Quota (00:31:31)

13. How Do You Respond To Negative Comments/Treatment Today vs When You Started In This Industry? (00:32:13)

14. Final Thoughts (00:37:40)

15. Amber Mentions LIFT, Her Book “The Little Cyber Engineer”, & TeachKidsTech (00:41:07)