Morris Plains, New Jersey (PRWEB) May 21, 2015

The International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) today announced the appointment of Rich Baich to its Strategic Advisory Board. As a member of the Strategic Advisory Board, Baich will play a critical role in shaping the strategic objectives and direction of the organization, which is dedicated to advancing women and minorities who are underrepresented in cybersecurity.

According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), women are underrepresented in Information Technology (IT) and cybersecurity, comprising only 29% of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce despite making up 48% of the US professional workforce. Specifically, according to various studies including research from the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) women comprise only 10% of the cybersecurity workforce. Similarly, minorities are grossly underrepresented with African Americans and Hispanics combined representing less than 11% of the cybersecurity workforce.

The ICMCP is a volunteer-led 501©3 non-profit organization. Launched in 2014, the ICMCP is working to bridge the gap in the cyber security sector by providing scholarship opportunities, technical training programs, innovative outreach, mentoring and networking programs targeting women and minority cyber security professionals worldwide and by promoting academic and technical excellence in the industry.

“Cybersecurity is one of the most serious national security challenges we face as well as one of the fastest-growing disciplines worldwide. As the industry continues to expand, it is critical that organizations diversify their workforce. Organizations must reach out to their communities to support minority education and research to meet this growing demand. We have to begin early in K-12 programs to enhance cyber education efforts and integrate cyber studies into STEM curriculum,” said Baich.

Rich Baich is Wells Fargo’s Chief Information Security Officer. Prior to joining Wells Fargo in 2012, Rich was a Principal at Deloitte & Touche where he led the Global Cyber Threat and Vulnerability Management practice. Rich’s other security leadership roles include Naval Information Warfare Officer for the National Security Agency (NSA), Senior Director for Professional Services at Network Associates (now McAfee) and after the tragic events of September 11, 2001, as Special Assistant to the Deputy Director for the National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) at the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

“We are delighted to welcome Rich to our Strategic Advisory Board. His leadership roles in both the public and private sectors will be invaluable to furthering the ICMCP mission,” said Devon Bryan, ICMCP co-founder and President, and Vice President, Technical Security Services at ADP. “Rich’s dedication to bolstering the security of our nation and supporting the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals by providing educational and employment opportunities for grossly underrepresented sectors of our society is laudable.”

About ICMCP

Obtaining official approval by the United States Department of the Treasury Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as a Tax Exempt Non-Profit Public Charity organization operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code in July of 2014, the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP) began official operations in September of 2014 is organized exclusively for charitable educational purposes, more specifically to provide our members educational/technical scholarships, mentoring opportunities, professional development and networking.







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