Respect in security was founded in 2021 by a group of cybersecurity professionals who have decided to take a stand against all forms of harassment within our industry.
It stemmed from a discussion that a group of professionals had following an event. Upon hearing the experiences of what some of their colleagues had faced, they wanted to do something about it to prevent it from happening to others in the future.
Respect in Security’s mission is to give victims and potential victims the knowledge that the industry they have chosen does not support these behaviours, and all people who are entering cybersecurity will have the knowledge that their peers and employers will support them if they are ever targeted.
The initiative’s objectives are for organisations to be more transparent and accountable in reporting incidents to help drive more positivity with any interactions we have as professionals within cybersecurity.
Findings that stemmed the need for change
Respect in Security engaged in some research alongside Sapio. From that research, they found that of those that reported experiencing in-person harassment, most said it came at industry events (36%), in the office (47%), or work socials (48%).
Online harassment is most likely to have occurred on Twitter (44%) or email (37%).
Although many of the respondents identified that their organisation has an anti-harassment policy and complaints procedure, nearly half argued that their employer should do more to ensure all employees understand what acceptable behaviour looks like.
As a result of these findings, Respect in Security wants the industry to come together to make perpetrators accountable for their actions using official channels. They urge all employers to sign the pledge.
About iSTORM’s Culture
Since iSTORM was founded, our values have very much been about people. Our founders James and Richard knew that cultural change was driven by senior management teams and for many years saw that there was a focus on technology and not enough on the people who make the business what it is. They wanted to change that focus and putting people and processes at the forefront with targeted awareness is key to creating that culture of understanding.
James and Richard are dedicated to focussing their efforts on building a culture that the whole team are proud of. iSTORM’s values include passion and integrity and management has always believed in open and honest two-way communication. Our people love what they do, and they look forward to doing it.
To find out more about the team click here.
We signed the pledge
When we heard about the objectives and mission of the Respect in Security initiative, we wanted to show our support and respect for people within the industry.
iSTORM as a member of the cybersecurity community committed to the prevention of all forms of harassment within our industry hereby pledges its support for a workplace and community free from harassment and fear.
iSTORM will continue to do our part in ensuring members in our community, at all levels are aware of what constitutes harassment and why it’s never acceptable, while continually maintaining and actively reviewing our policy and reporting mechanisms.
For more information about the Respect in Security initiative click here.
