Maya Horowitz, VP Research at Check Point Software Technologies, says that organisations should carry out women mentoring programs

Tell us about yourself and your current job role.
I’m the VP of Research in Check Point Software Technologies. Check Point Research (cp<r>) is in charge of analyzing the cyber threat landscape, making sure our customers are protected from the state of the art of cyber-attacks, as well as identifying new malware, campaigns and vulnerabilities and publishing them for the benefit of the entire security community.

Tell us about your journey into the security industry. Was the security industry your first choice?
I got into the cyber industry through my 10-year-service in the Israeli Defense Forces. It wasn’t my first choice, which is why my studies were unrelated to cyber or high-tech at all; I studied psychology and business management, and my thesis was related to cancer research. After completing my master’s degree, I joined Check Point Software based on my background from IDF, and I’ve been here for the last 7 years.

During your tenure in the security industry have you experienced major changes the industry has gone through?
The most overwhelming change in the cybersecurity industry is the growing number of start-up companies and point solutions. It’s almost as if every new cyber-attack is grounds for a new company, which means that to be protected against all attacks – organizations allegedly need to work with an infinite number of security providers. Check Point Software, aims at providing a more holistic solution, and I believe this is the future of the industry – moving back to consolidation, to avoid having to chaise numerous products.

Are there any challenges you face on a day-to-day basis working in this industry?
As a woman in the industry, and especially as a senior manager, I often find myself to be the only woman in the room, which can get a bit lonely. On the other hand, it also means that I am different, and this can actually mean that my voice is different and it’s easier to be heard and remembered.

I also think that while there is no glass ceiling, the way to the top is certainly harder for women. As men’s behavior is more the manager stereotype (based on decades of male leadership), we have to work against the stereotype and prove that we are worthy managers, usually to our male managers who appreciate the stereotype.

And interestingly, the stereotype doesn’t only apply to the managers, but also to the candidates. Too often I find myself trying to convince a female employee or mentee that she is more than capable of a managerial or professional promotion. I consistently see insecurities and exaggerated perfectionism in super-qualified women, and I wish we would take these leaps of faith in ourselves as easily as men do.

What sort of future do you foresee for the security industry as a whole?
The cybersecurity industry will keep doing the cat and mouse game with the hackers – with new attack tricks, new protections will emerge, and vice versa. Like in a physical war, this will keep happening until a real tie-breaker is invented – the nuclear power of technology which will be a game-changer. What will it be? Quantum computing? New implementation for blockchain? Time will tell.

What more needs to be done to welcome more and more women into the security industry?
From a very young age, essentially from the moment we are born, girls are less exposed to technology – while our brothers get to play in robots, we would typically get a barbie doll for the present. We are later less keen to join the “boyish” majors in schools like computers, physics, and mathematics, and the same later in university.

And so, unfortunately, by the time we get to the age where we start our career, it can be too late to divert our path to technology. I was lucky enough to be “forced” into technology as part of my military service, which made me understand that this is where I belong, but I could have easily missed this opportunity otherwise.

In other words, the burden of welcoming women into the security/technology industry actually falls on parents, as well as kindergarten and elementary school teachers, to not limit girls’ toys, hobbies, and perspectives. Still, the industry can do at least a few things to encourage women to join – while I don’t believe in affirmative action, managers should proactively seek to employ amazing women as part of their organizations, and give equal chance.

Some examples are emphasis on using gender-neutral phrasing in job descriptions, advertising in women tech forums, and even making sure the candidate is exposed to female peers/managers in the hiring process. And eventually, to avoid drop-outs of women who look around and don’t see their likes, it is also important for organizations to carry out women mentoring programs.