Expel and Blacks In Technology Foundation Partner to Combat Underrepresentation in Cybersecurity

Partnership will focus on increasing diversity and inclusion in hiring practices and creating opportunities for Black people in technology.

Press releases · Cole Finch

Herndon, Va. – December 2, 2021 – Expel, the managed detection and response (MDR) provider that aims to make great security as accessible as the internet, is proud to announce its partnership with the Blacks In Technology Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to creating career opportunities in technology for Black people in the U.S. and globally.

Increasing representation, inclusion and equality for Black individuals must be a critical focus for the cybersecurity industry. In a 2017 study, (ISC)² found that male cybersecurity professionals of color earned an average salary of $121,000 — the same as white women — while white men earned, on average, $124,000. Women of color working in cybersecurity earned, on average, $115,000 — nearly $10,000 less than white men. And while Black people represent 14.2 percent of the U.S. population according to the most recent government estimates, they made up just 3 percent of employees in the top 75 tech firms in Silicon Valley in 2016.

Founded in 2017, the Blacks In Technology Foundation’s mission is to ‘Stomp the divide’ between Black tech workers and to fundamentally influence and effect change on an industry that has historically not sought parity with respect to Black workers. The organization has 50 chapters working to improve representation and opportunities for Black people in technology globally.

To combat underrepresentation and inequality in the field, the Blacks In Technology Foundation offers technological training, education, networking and mentorship opportunities to its membership with the support of its allies, partners, sponsors and members.

“Partners like Expel provide community specific resources to help remove the financial barrier to upskilling and retraining for those most in need. Expel’s sponsorship contribution will not only help drive regional awareness for the Blacks In Technology Foundation, but it will specifically and fundamentally change lives through D.C. regional technical scholarships and grants to aid in the fight to stem unemployment and under-employment in the African-American community,” said Dennis Schultz, Executive Director, Blacks In Technology Foundation.

As part of this partnership, Expel will participate in career fairs, events and the community job board run by the Blacks In Technology Foundation to support its mission and focus on increasing diversity and inclusion in hiring practices. Expel will also work with the Foundation to create collaborative programming and speaking opportunities for members of the Blacks In Technology community. Additionally, Expel is excited to promote opportunities for Expletives to take part in speaking engagements and events run by the Foundation.

“At Expel, we know we’re a stronger company when we get to work with people with diverse perspectives and experiences. And we know that our industry is stronger when it’s representative of the communities where we live and work,” said Amy Rossi, Chief People Officer at Expel. “We’re committed to building an inclusive and welcoming place to work and to improving opportunities and representation for Black people in tech – both at Expel and across the cybersecurity industry. We’re proud to partner with the Blacks In Technology Foundation and support their important work.”

For more information about the Blacks In Technology Foundation and sponsorship opportunities, visit https://foundation.blacksintechnology.net/sponsorship/. To learn more about this partnership or equity, inclusion and diversity at Expel, reach out at https://expel.com/about/contact-us/.

About Expel

Expel is a managed detection and response (MDR) provider whose vision is to make great security as accessible as the internet. The company offers 24×7 security monitoring and response for cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments. Expel uses the security signals customers already have so organizations can get more value from their existing security investments. And Expel connects to customer tech remotely through APIs, not agents, so its security operations center (SOC) can start monitoring a customer’s environment in a matter of hours, letting their internal teams get back to focusing on the most strategic security priorities that are unique to their business. Learn more at https://expel.com.

About The Blacks In Technology Foundation

The Blacks In Technology Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit that advocates for increased diversity in tech for people of African descent globally. Our goal and mission is to “stomp the divide” between Black tech workers and to fundamentally influence and effect change on an industry that has historically not sought parity with respect to Black workers. Our intent is to level the playing field through training, education, networking, and mentorship with the support of allies, partners, sponsors, and most importantly our global members. Learn more at https://foundation.blacksintechnology.net/.

Contact

Madi Taylor
Expel
908-938-4642
ExpelComms@expel.io

Editor’s note: The following buzzwords were banned from this press release in no particular order: autonomous, next-generation, military-grade intelligence, elite, artificial intelligence, leveraging, powerful, robust, changing threat landscape, end-to-end, actionable, real-time, machine learning, state-of-the-art, best-of-breed, continuous and purpose-built. 

Resources home