The Security Foundation

In recent years, there has been more urgency to prioritize Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the security industry to help diversify the workforce and leadership perspectives. While this is seen by most as a sign of positive progress, DEI can be a polarizing topic in any industry, and security is no exception. Many in the intelligence community are actively speaking out about the lack of DEI as a potential threat to national security. Because of this, our journey to advance DEI in the security industry has never been more crucial.  

At large, we know the drawbacks we face without DEI. Siloed thinking leads to siloed protection, and there’s a serious lack of talent diversity in the security space. Expansion to a wider talent pool alone is a huge win we need to strive for. On top of that, we’re at a pivotal moment in time. We stand to gain immeasurably from implementing more DEI into our workforce, yet the struggle to do so authentically and actionably has presented a barrier for some time.  

In looking to move the needle on equitable advancement, we, along with our industry colleagues, saw a need to build an alliance that anyone in the security space can turn to for up-to-date DEI resources, guidelines, support, and more.  

Introducing the Security Coalition for Equitable Advancement (SCEA)  

To unify our industry behind a common vision, we are introducing the Security Coalition for Equitable Advancement (SCEA), which will help us identify new, innovative, and diverse approaches for protecting our people and most valuable assets from new forms of attack. This coalition will serve as a guidepost helping prioritize diversity in thought to guarantee our defense strategies are as strong, creative, and comprehensive as those who seek to attack us.

SCEA will drive meaningful, action-oriented, and unified progress across DEI initiatives in the security industry. Its purpose is to safeguard the most effective, comprehensive defense tactics as part of an unwavering commitment to supporting U.S. interests and entities around the world now and in the future.  

Bringing the vision for this alliance forward at the security industry DEI Summit, coordinated by TSF in May, we are energized about leveraging this initiative to propel equality forward through diversity and inclusion. 

Key Takeaways from the DEI Summit 2024  

• Reaffirmed our joint commitment 
• Added two new organizations 
• Created a new coalition and infrastructure  
• Unveiled a marketing plan for the new coalition 

Why Security Coalition for Equitable Advancement?  

In forming SCEA, we are positioning our industry to effectively compete for top talent, strengthening defense tactics against existing and evolving threats everywhere. DEI is a critical strategy to help us get the best security talent from a variety of talent pools. 

Additionally, we want every individual to feel they have opportunities to participate equitably in our industry, eliminating biases in our thinking to break down siloed strategies and protect against potential vulnerabilities.  

We aim to facilitate improved education and knowledge sharing opportunities to unite the industry behind DEI efforts that will strengthen our security practices. Through this, we can continue making the world a safer, more secure, and connected place.  

SCEA Mission Statement 

Our Mission: The Security Coalition for Equitable Advancement (SCEA) accelerates Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) across the security industry, fostering an environment where every individual can participate equitably.  

 Our Vision: To cultivate a diverse security workforce at all levels.  

SCEA Objectives  

SCEA has four main objectives: 

1. To build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce, reflective of the world we live in, across all echelons of the public and private security industry.    

1. To capitalize on the opportunity that diverse thinking creates, thereby ensuring the most comprehensive and sophisticated protection against evolving and diverse threat agents. 

1. To consistently communicate this DEI vision to key participants and decision makers across the security industry, encouraging accelerated progress, actionable programming, and measurable outcomes. 

1. To create a cohesive approach to how we accelerate DEI progress in the security industry, effectively unifying industry leaders and professionals behind the cause.   

Pillars for Progress  

To drive progress that is both meaningful and measurable we will build strategies and programs around four key pillars.  

1. Hiring and Recruitment 
   1. Partner with university “ERG”/Specialty groups, and associations for career fair/focused events 
   2. Coordinate DEI-focused internship, mentorship, and fellowship programs for attracting and retaining candidates 
2. Education and Training 
   1. Create a repository for sharing lessons learned/best practices and marketing/outreach content 
   2. Explore coordinated education/scholarship programs for attracting talented candidates 
3. Marketing 
   1. Create a joint DEI marketing plan with shared content 
   2. Coordinate DEI-focused programs, events, and shared spaces at events (internal & external) 
4. Data and Research 
   1. Conduct surveys and establish goals/metrics associated with DEI programs, recruitment, education, scholarships 
   2. Complete journey maps for respective organizations 

Going Forward with Action  

We are dedicated to cultivating a diverse security workforce, ensuring that diversity of thought reinforces the strength and impermeability of our defense strategies. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is not enough to simply talk about DEI. We must act on key initiatives, ensuring all that DEI represents is present in our industry. We are excited for the possibilities ahead and are ready to work alongside our partners and industry collaborators to move the security space forward. 

Stay tuned as we share more updates on committees, next steps and ways to get involved with SCEA’s mission and initiatives.