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P E E R T O P E E R M A G A Z I N E · F A L L 2 0 2 5 39 annual Evolve (formerly LegalSEC) conference. Women In Security will soon launch our section of ILTA's website to house a skills matrix and other assets we've collected. These are things we've actually been working on for so many years. DEIC: What drew you together as a community within ILTA? It seems like that evolved organically, too! Who is your target audience? What are your goals related to engaging with them? Michele: Our target audience is women who want to enter the security space and are seeking assistance in navigating it as effectively as possible. Partially, it's a confidence issue. Often, they don't realize that they possess the skills necessary for these roles. You often hear the popular claim that women will only apply for a job if they possess 90% or more of the required skill set. We want to ensure that people realize that if they have the experience, they may be very qualified for these jobs, but are not comfortable or familiar with connecting some of the dots. Rebecca: One thing we also want to make clear is that men are welcome, too, and are part of our target audience. Frankly, whatever it is that we're trying to do, we can't do it without them—they're often the ones in charge of the hiring. By including them in the Women in Security conversations, they gain a better understanding and appreciation that some of the soft skills women bring to the table may be as valuable as, or even more valuable than, some of the technical skills listed in the job requirements. DEIC: While the committee was formed to serve the unmet needs of women and opportunities in security roles, would you say that your target audience is a) women seeking jobs in Security and b) anyone who's hiring for those roles? Rebecca: Well, those two profiles are the target audience for the skills matrix. However, for the committee as a whole, our goals and target audience are broad. We aim to be a support community for women at any stage of their security career. Outsiders considering joining, women already in the security field who may not be where they want to be, and seasoned insiders. For me, just knowing that there are other women out there who have dealt with the same things is really important. Michele: Different people will have different needs. Perhaps they need a mentor, someone to help boost their confidence; they require access to diverse education, job experiences, or other resources that can help them discover the paths they might want to pursue. Our goal is to assist with all of these aspects as we progress the committee. DEIC: You mentioned the WIS skills matrix. [Full transparency for the readers, I got to see a preview of the tool at ILTACON and was very impressed.] Can you share more about it? Rebecca: We've been working on this for the last couple of years. The skills matrix is a valuable tool for individuals seeking to enter the security field, as well as for those hiring for security roles. The skills matrix helps both because you can click on a role to see the necessary skills for that role, or you can click on a skill to see which roles require those skills. DEIC: Is the skills matrix "live" now? How can people find it? Michele: It's on our brand-new ILTA Resources page! Click on the link to access the Skills Matrix Dashboard at https://www. iltanet.org/resources/women-in- security#matrix. DEIC: It was helpful to see jobs broken down by both technical and soft skills. I'd never seen roles represented like that before, especially not in IT. I have a feeling your inaugural year is going to be exciting. What do you hope members are going to say about this committee a year from now? Michele: We have provided access to many more women, enabling them to enter the security field and demonstrate their qualifications and interest.

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